More leave Jakarta to cast vote in hometowns

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The number of people leaving Jakarta increased significantly on Saturday, just two days before close to 150 million Indonesians go to polling stations to elect legislative members.

Staff at the Senen Railway Station in Central Jakarta said on Saturday the number of economy-class train passengers went up by at least 35 percent during the past two days compared with normal non-holiday rates.

Data at the station showed that the number of passengers leaving for towns in Central and East Java provinces reached 5,449 Friday, compared to just 3,941 on Thursday, 3,525 Wednesday, and 3,344 on Tuesday.

"We have no complete data yet for today (Saturday), but based on my observation, I think the number of today's passengers will be similar to that of Friday," Parjadi, a Senen station worker told The Jakarta Post.

Hundreds of people were seen queuing up in front of booths selling tickets to Cirebon in West Java and towns and cities in Central and East Java.

The number of people leaving for their hometowns on buses and airplanes also increased during the past few days.

Mawardiman, a worker at the Kali Deres Bus Terminal in West Jakarta, said the number of passengers had increased by around 15 percent from normal to around 1,500 people per day.

Merpati Nusantara Airlines Marketing Manager Jaka Pujiyono said airplane passengers increased by a corresponding 15 percent on Friday and Saturday.

"Normally, the passenger rate stands at 65 percent full, this weekend it has gone up from 75 percent to 85 percent full," Jaka told the Post.

Daryono, a worker at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, confirmed the increase in passengers but could not provide exact data.

Many migrants going home by train from the Senen station said they wanted to cast votes in their hometowns.

Sumardi, 24, who had only worked in Depok for a week, said he left for his hometown in Bojonegoro, Central Java to vote.

"My father called up to tell me that I have to go home to use my rights there because a village official had delivered my voter's card," he said while waiting for his train. He planned to return to Depok on Monday evening.

Other passengers, however, said that visiting relatives was the main objective of leaving Jakarta.

"I must pick up my wife and son, who have been in our hometown in Riau for a month. I don't mind if I don't exercise my voting rights," said Anwar, who was waiting for a bus at the Kali Deres station.

Jaka said the number of passengers leaving for tourist destinations such as Bali and Yogyakarta was higher than those leaving for other regions.

"It seems voting on April 5 is not only the reason for people to leave the city," he said, adding many wanted to use the three- day vacation for visiting their relatives in their hometowns.

Indonesia will hold the legislative election on Monday (April 5) to choose members of the House of Representatives (DPR), the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), and provincial legislatures (DPRD I) and regental/municipal legislature (DPRD II).