Idul Fitri exodus might peak tomorrow

Idul Fitri exodus might peak tomorrow

JAKARTA (JP): The number of travelers leaving the city may
peak to tomorrow despite earlier predictions the exodus would
ease if it peaked yesterday and today.

Only 10 out of the 15 additional bus terminals were operating
yesterday while the four main intercity terminals were not too
crowded.

Only 15,721 passengers had departed from the Pulo Gadung
terminal, East Jakarta yesterday by 2 a.m. compared to at least
40,000 Sunday.

Discounted train tickets have not so far attracted as many
travelers as expected, director of the state-run railway firm,
Perumka, Soemino Eko Saputro said yesterday.

"Until Feb. 5, four days before Idul Fitri, the total number
of passengers was less than that of last year," Soemino said.

On Wednesday Perumka's central information center at Gambir
reported that at 7 p.m. the city's six stations were quiet.

One train set to leave the Tanah Abang station for Kutoarjo,
Central Java, was canceled because there weren't enough
passengers.

The city land transportation agency's 24-hour post recorded
that until 8 a.m. yesterday, the number of passengers departing
from bus terminals since Jan. 26 was 467,234.

Around three million are expected to leave the city for Idul
Fitri celebrations.

"Last year, the number of passengers recorded leaving the city
four days before Idul Fitri was 472,360," said Ucep, a transport
agency monitoring post official said.

By 2 p.m. yesterday, the Kalideres bus terminal in East
Jakarta recorded the highest number of passengers at 31,112. The
passengers were leaving for Sumatra.

Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto, in an
inspection yesterday at Pulo Gadung, repeated calls that
passengers should report cases of illegal bus fares.

The report, he said, should be based on evidence. Passengers
have said it is useless reporting cases.

On reports of illegal fare hikes, Haryanto said so far no such
reports had been filed by passengers.

But some bus operators do raise their fares higher than the 25
percent above the normal prices allowed by the government.

Ahmad, a passenger from Semarang, said he had had to accept a
ticketing official's demand to pay Rp 45,000 (US$18.70) for the
air-conditioned Limas Express bus to Solo. The officer erased the
written charge of Rp 37,000 and wrote a new fare, Rp 45,000.

Another passenger heading for Madura island had to pay Rp
41,000 for the economy class Setia Bakti bus. The permitted fare
was Rp 26,000.

Toga S., deputy head of the Pulo Gadung police subprecinct
said that during a raid Wednesday evening several bus crews were
caught charging passengers on board, after the buses had already
left terminals, and before passengers had been informed of the
fares. Charging passengers on board is only allowed while buses
are in terminals.

The plainclothes officers then reprimanded the bus crew.

Haryanto regretted many travelers didn't know about the other
terminals.

However, prospective passengers at Senayan confirmed yesterday
buses for Sumatra destinations were not available. (ste/11)