Number vacating city drops as Idul Fitri nears
Number vacating city drops as Idul Fitri nears
JAKARTA (JP): The annual Idul Fitri exodus eased slightly yesterday, while traffic and business activity in the city remained busy, indicating that many Jakartans have yet to leave for their hometowns.
In the morning and afternoon, only a small number of travelers were found at the city's bus terminals, such as Senen (Central Jakarta), Kalideres (West Jakarta) and Kampung Rambutan and Pulogadung (East Jakarta).
Most railway stations were similarly quiet.
By evening, however, the numbers started to rise at several terminals.
The number of motorists on highways and tollroads connecting Jakarta to the rest of Java and to Sumatra, such as the Jakarta- Cikampek and Cawang-Jatibening tollroads, increased significantly yesterday evening.
The number of travelers passing through the Soekarno-Hatta international airport was normal.
"There has been no significant increase in the number of passengers, thus far," said Supardjo, a security officer at the departure terminal.
The overall number of Idul Fitri travelers yesterday was slightly lower than the numbers recorded on Saturday and Sunday. Only a few accidents and traffic jams were reported.
The number of homeward bound holidaymakers is expected to increase today and tomorrow as many office employees leave for the public Idul Fitri holidays on Friday and Saturday.
The estimated huge number of travelers flocking to many city bus terminals and railway stations over the next two days has been well anticipated by the government.
Hundreds of extra buses, from both state and private bus companies, have been prepared.
The main problem faced by the travelers is activity of ticket scalpers, who always appear during this peak season at bus terminals and railway stations.
Although the government has raised travel fares, there are still a large number of scalpers in operation, offering tickets at double or triple the original sale price.
"I wonder why the local authorities have consistently failed to wipe them out," Priyanto, a small-scale businessman on his way to Malang, East Java, told The Jakarta Post.
He strongly believed that scalpers have been colluding with officials at the terminals and railway stations.
Business activities remained normal, with only a few companies, such as catering firms, rejecting orders customers because of staff shortages. (bsr)