Roadwork may disrupt traffic during Idul Fitri

Roadwork may disrupt traffic during Idul Fitri

JAKARTA (JP): Sporadic road repairs along the northern coast
of Java will disturb the traffic flow from Jakarta to Central and
East Java and vice versa, an official has warned.

The head of the city land transportation control agency, JP
Sepang, said that buses returning to Jakarta to pick up more Idul
Fitri holidaymakers will be caught in heavy traffic congestion.

"As many as 3.5 million Jakartans will gradually leave for
their hometowns, some in Central and East Java. Two million of
them will travel by public bus. More than 8,000 special buses are
expected to commute to and from Jakarta from Feb. 13 to March 2.
Congestion on the northern coast will likely be unavoidable,"
Sepang said.

Feb. 13 is predicted to be the start of people leaving en
masse for their hometowns.

He said every day thousands of passengers will be stranded
because the buses returning to Jakarta will be caught in
prolonged traffic jams.

The peak of this year's exodus will be four days before Idul
Fitri, on Feb.16, and end two days later.

Sepang therefore has urged Jakartans to go to their hometowns
to celebrate Idul Fitri early, before Feb.13.

"If husbands cannot do that, try to send your wives and
children as soon as possible. Husbands can join them later," he
said.

The terminals

Sepang made the statements when visiting the Parkir Timur
Senayan, Lebak Bulus, Kampung Rambutan and Pulo Gadung bus
terminals to inspect their readiness for Idul Fitri.

Conditions in the terminals are relatively normal at present
because the number of vehicles and passengers have not increased
as yet. For instance in Pulo Gadung the number of passengers is
still about 20,000 per day. The number is expected to reach
50,000 per day in the peak period.

The government predicts that 3.5 million Jakartans will join
the upcoming Idul Fitri exodus, with two million of them
traveling by bus, one million by train and the remaining 500,000
traveling in private cars or airplanes.

Last year 1.61 million Jakartans left the city by bus to
celebrate Idul Fitri.

For Idul Fitri the city administration will provide 8,444
buses, comprising 6,694 regular buses and 1,750 buses as backups.

Sepang has guaranteed the safety of city buses, saying they
will undergo thorough checking in bus terminals before picking up
passengers.

Buses will leave the city from four major bus terminals:
Pulo Gadung, Kampung Rambutan, both in East Jakarta, Kalideres in
West Jakarta and Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta.

The city administration has prepared 21 additional bus
stations as back up terminals. They are Rawamangun in East
Jakarta, Tanjung Priok, Pangkalan Tanah Merdeka, Muara Angke,
Pluit in North Jakarta and Pelabuhan Nusantara in West Jakarta.

In South Jakarta the terminals are in Pasar Minggu, Jl. Kapten
Tendean, Jl. Bintaro, Jl. Abd. Rochim and Patal Senayan. In West
Jakarta the terminals are Grogol, Citra Land, Daan Mogot and
Cengkareng Drain.

In Central Jakarta, they are Damri bus depot, Parkir Timur
Senayan and four PPD depots in Ciputat, Daan Mogot, Klender and
Kramat Jati.(yns)