Homeward bound? Godspeed

Homeward bound? Godspeed

It seems odd to say that a national holiday can boost a
government's credibility, but that is exactly the case with
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. His new administration is facing a huge
challenge early on, as it oversees the movements of some 17
million people during the holiday season.

The most populated islands of Java and Sumatra are the places
where most of the action is taking place. Individuals and
families are largely traveling from cities to villages before
Idul Fitri, and vice versa after the post-fasting holiday.

The total number of people on the move, 17 million, is four
times greater than the population of Singapore, almost equivalent
to the population of Australia or Malaysia, and more than ten
times the initial outpouring of people from East to West Germany
in 1989, following the Berlin wall's collapse.

The holiday season also has an impact on regional travel. More
than 160,000 Indonesian workers are coming home too, particularly
from neighboring Malaysia. The good news is that the Malaysian
government has offered amnesty to Indonesian illegal workers in
that country. They are not going to be punished for showing up.

At this time of year, close to the end of the holy month of
Ramadhan, people from all walks of life -- from housemaids to
businesswomen, from street vendors to shop owners, from clerks to
bankers -- are on their way home. The mudik or hometown-bound
trip to spend the holiday with family members is a tradition that
no Indonesian likes to miss, regardless of how fit they are, or
whether they are adequately equipped for the journey.

It is no wonder that former general Susilo did not want to
take any chances. He personally inspected Jakarta's bus and train
stations to ensure that people returning to their hometowns in
the second and third weeks of this month were offered convenient
and safe travel arrangements. He asked the relevant state
officials to delay their leave so that they could better serve
travellers. A decree, signed by three ministers, encouraged civil
servants and employees of the private sector to take leave en
masse, so that they could enjoy more time with their extended
families. In some bus and train stations, medical personnel have
been checking the health of travellers.

It does not stop there. Some 30,000 buses and 218 trains and
ferries are being prepared. The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency
(BMG) is broadcasting updated weather forecasts every six hours
from Nov. 14 to Nov. 20. The Ministry of Public Works is readying
heavy equipment to deal with possible floods and landslides in
areas prone to those catastrophe. The Ministry of Energy and
Mineral Resources is making sure that power blackout-prone areas
like South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, West Kalimantan and East
Kalimantan have adequate electricity.

Some preparations seem to defy logic as it looks like the
country is about to go to war. The Navy is ordering five of its
warships to remain on standby in case of a ferry shortage. The
Air Force has issued similar orders. The East Java Police are
offering escorts to homeward-bound motorcyclists. Some 70,000
police are deployed across the country.

The private sector appears to be in tandem with the
government. Complaints from workers asking for holiday bonuses
have barely been made, a sign that more and more companies are
willing to part with some of their profits, to see their
employees suitably prepared for this important yearly event. Some
companies have routinely organized transportation fleets to take
their employees and clients home. Automotive companies, as in
past years, have set up emergency service stations in dozens of
towns across Java and Sumatra to assist travellers who encounter
engine problems.

These are encouraging steps, and both the new government and
the private sector should be commended for their initiative. What
remains to be seen, however, is the extent to which the
government's preparations benefit the public. For instance, will
bus and train ticket fares stay at the rate set by the
government, or skyrocket at the whim of operators?

What people need most during this time is good service as they
travel home and comfort and peace of mind, away from the hands of
ticket scalpers, pickpockets or robbers.

Apart from threats from criminals, inadequate public
facilities, bad roads and bridges, safety should top the
government's priority list. Last year, 105 revelers were killed
and 188 injured in traffic accidents in West and Central Java. A
persistent effort must be made to drive this number down.
Merrymaking should not give way to mourning. Happy Idul Fitri.