Number of people traveling during Idul Fitri falls by 14%
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Communications Giri Suseno said on Saturday that the number of people traveling during this year's Idul Fitri holiday fell by 14 percent from 9.7 million last year to 8.4 million.
"The number of passengers up to the second day of the Idul Fitri celebration on Wednesday was originally predicted to fall only by 8 percent," the minister said in Cirebon, West Java.
Accompanied by M. Yusuf, head of the West Java office of the communications ministry, Giri said that the fall in the number of passengers was registered in air, land and ferry transportation with railway and sea transportation registering a surge.
The figures for air transportation, for example, fell by 40.5 percent from 285,439 last year to only 168,299 this year, land transportation by 24 percent from 6.7 million to 5 million and ferry by 14 percent from 1.29 million to 1.11 million, Giri was quoted by Antara as saying.
He explained that railway transportation recorded a surge in passengers of 26.5 percent from 1.28 million last year to 1.62 million this year, and sea transportation by 178 percent from 147,663 to 410,904.
Meanwhile, inbound travelers continued flooding Jakarta on Saturday, but their number was not as big as was predicted earlier on the day anticipated as the peak of the massive influx after the Idul Fitri celebration.
The peak of the influx, either by bus, train, ship, plane or private car, is expected to happen on Sunday as most city residents will start work on Monday, which will be the first school day after a long holiday.
Data at the Kampung Rambutan bus terminal in East Jakarta showed that as of 2 p.m. on Saturday, 14,582 people arrived in the city by 315 buses, while another 8,772 people left for other cities on 256 buses.
An employee of the Setio Mulyo bus company said that the number of passengers arriving in the capital this year dropped as compared to the figure in the corresponding period last year.
"Maybe the travelers would arrive here on Saturday night or Sunday morning," said the employee, who refused to be named.
On Friday 31,655 passengers were recorded to have entered the city through the terminal and another 24,770 had just left.
"Many people chose to leave the city after the Idul Fitri holiday to avoid the hustle and bustle in crowded buses," said Endang Permana, an official of the terminal.
The situation in Pulo Gadung bus terminal also in East Jakarta was quieter on Saturday when only 5,217 bus passengers had entered the city as of 2 p.m.
"I think the travelers would start flooding the city by Saturday night and Sunday because children should begin their schooling on Monday," said Pardjiman, a supervisor at the terminal.
He also noted that there were less newcomers arriving at the terminal this year.
"Newcomers did come in, but their numbers were much smaller than last year, he said, adding that most of them insisted on earning their living here rather than being jobless in their villages.
"The newcomers insisted that they would do whatever they could here for the sake of food," said Pardjiman.
He said that most of the new arrivals were accompanied by their relatives or colleagues who had work here.
Pendi, 28, who had just arrived at the terminal from Lampung in Sumatra with his wife and son, said that he refused to bring his friends to the capital as the competition was very stiff.
"Almost all my friends who followed me to try their luck in the capital last year have been laid off."
"There were many people in my hometown who wanted to join me in the city, but I turned down their requests. I know it will be difficult to find jobs here," said Pendi, who works as a container truck driver.
A crowded situation could not be seen at Gambir and Pasar Senen railway stations in Central Jakarta on Saturday either.
Head of Pasar Senen station Bey Arief said that at noon the number in the influx through the station reached only 2,906, while leaving the city were 2,481 people.
"I think the peak of the influx will occur on Sunday morning," he said.
Hundreds of people, most of whom taking with them much luggage, were still flocking to the station or lining up in front of ticket counters.
Most of them, who came from Central and East Java, used the Idul Fitri holiday as a chance to visit the city's popular recreational parks, like Ancol Dreamland in North Jakarta and Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in East Jakarta.
An official of the Gambir station, Sukendar, said that no data on the influx was recorded there.
Meanwhile, in Yogyakarta thousands of people were seen flooding both the city's bus terminal and railway station to return to Jakarta.
The crowded situation meant a windfall for ticket brokers who sold bus tickets at almost double the ordinary prices and train tickets at 50 percent higher than the set prices.
Despite the skyrocketing prices of the tickets, however, all buses and trains were fully booked on Saturday.
"I have to go back to Jakarta by whatever means as I have to start work on Monday," Seno, an employee of a ceramics firm in Bekasi, said. (ivy/ind/23/hhr)