On the second day of Eid, Jatinegara Station still crowded with homebound travellers
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The departure area at Jatinegara Station in East Jakarta was observed on Sunday to still be crowded with dozens of homebound travellers (pemudik) intending to use long-distance trains on the second day of the 1447 Hijriah Eid al-Fitr celebrations.
One of the travellers, Okti Miati (28), said she deliberately chose to depart after Eid to split her time between family in Jakarta and her hometown in Purwokerto, Central Java.
“I intended to celebrate Eid in Jakarta first, then go to Purwokerto afterwards. I’ll return to Jakarta on the 25th (March),” said Okti when met at Jatinegara Station in East Jakarta on Sunday.
Several residents chose to travel to their hometowns after celebrating Eid to avoid ticket price surges and passenger congestion before Idul Fitri, which fell on Saturday (21/3).
Based on observations at the site, dozens of prospective train passengers crowded the departure area.
They appeared to be carrying a considerable amount of luggage, from suitcases to large bags, indicating that the mudik journey was still ongoing even though the peak had passed.
Okti revealed that purchasing train tickets during the mudik season posed a challenge.
She admitted to having to book tickets 45 days in advance to secure a seat.
“It’s quite difficult; you have to book far in advance. When I bought it, the seats were already full, meaning there are still many people wanting to mudik,” said Okti.
Although ticket prices rose during the Eid transportation period, Okti mentioned a discount programme from PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) that helped ease the cost for the public.
She said she obtained a ticket for around Rp250,000 for a one-way trip, which was cheaper than the normal price that could reach Rp350,000.
“If there were no discounts, it would be more expensive. But it’s still crowded; the trains are full,” said Okti.
A similar sentiment was expressed by another traveller, Risky (30), who chose to head to Malang after Eid.
“I deliberately mudik after Eid because beforehand, tickets are expensive and hard to get, and it’s extremely crowded,” said Risky.
Risky also opted for the train to avoid potential long traffic jams on land routes.
In his view, bus travel could take up to a dozen hours and feel exhausting.
“Usually, taking the bus takes 11 to 12 hours. Now, I’m trying the train for more comfort; I can rest too,” said Risky.
This phenomenon of post-Eid mudik indicates a shift in the public’s travel patterns.
With this situation, Jatinegara Station is expected to remain crowded with passengers in the coming days, in line with the continued flow of secondary mudik to various regions on Java island.