Mudik traffic shifts to toll roads, changing salted egg sales in Brebes

Some small traders are complaining about a decline in customers due to fewer vehicles passing through the Pantura route and stopping at souvenir centres, while larger-scale businesses are adapting and even increasing sales. One trader, Nanda, who has been selling for about 30 years, said the souvenir centre is now much quieter compared to before the toll road existed. “In the past, from one end to the other, it was all salted egg stalls. Now, only four kiosks remain,” Nanda told ANTARA in Brebes on Friday (20/3). She explained that before the toll road operated, the area was crowded with holiday vehicles, causing traffic jams all day. “In the past, after Eid, it was completely jammed, busy day and night. Now, you could sleep in the middle of the road, it’s so quiet,” she said. The drop in visitors directly affects sales. Previously able to sell 2,000–3,000 salted eggs per day, now it’s only about 100. According to her, many traders renting kiosks cannot hold on because they don’t break even. “Most renters can’t last, usually three to four months and they close,” she said. A 2019 Diponegoro University study recorded an average sales volume drop from about 9,000 eggs to 3,000 per day after the toll road. On the other hand, larger-scale businesses like Toko Telor Asin Bakar Yes are recording increased sales ahead of Eid. Owner of Toko Telor Asin Bakar Yes, Dhani Bagus Purnama, said they have made various adjustments to follow the changing shopping patterns of holidaymakers. “On normal days, around 5,000 eggs per day. Ahead of Eid, it can be 10,000 to 15,000,” he told ANTARA on Friday (20/3). According to Dhani, preparations for the Eid moment are done well in advance, from selecting raw materials to workforce readiness. “We prepare from the beginning to maintain quality and provide maximum service,” he said. To reach holidaymakers not passing through the Pantura route, they also opened branches in toll road rest areas and optimised online sales. “Besides here, we also open in rest areas and online, so we can still reach customers,” he said. He views the infrastructure changes as pushing businesses to adapt to evolving consumer behaviour. “Changes are certain. It’s about how we respond to them,” he said.