School Holidays End, Heritage Banjaratma Rest Area on Pejagan-Pemalang Toll Road Packed with Vehicles

The end of the 2026/2027 school holiday period has led to a surge in traffic volume on major roads. This was evident on the Pejagan-Pemalang Toll Road in Central Java, specifically at the Heritage Rest Area KM 260 B - Banjaratma in Brebes Regency, Central Java, on Sunday (12/7). The number of vehicles entering the Heritage Banjaratma Rest Area from the direction of Central Java heading to Jakarta and other cities in West Java was packed, especially with private vehicles. Director of PT PP Sinergi Banjaratma, the manager of the Banjaratma Heritage Rest Area, Dina Yunanda, stated that the volume of vehicles entering or stopping at the rest area increased by 1,000 compared to normal days. ‘The peak was yesterday, Sunday, 5 July, reaching 6,000 vehicles. It might be even higher later. So, alhamdulillah, there has been a very significant impact on the increase in vehicles resting at this rest area,’ said Dina Yunanda. Dina Yunanda noted that besides private cars, there were also many tourist buses. ‘If one bus contains 50 passengers, you can already see the number of visitors resting in this rest area,’ she explained. She mentioned that the vehicle density occurred from 10:00 and is expected to continue until Monday morning. ‘Usually, it’s only the west side car park that is full, but now it’s evenly spread—the west, north, and south car parks are all full,’ Dina Yunanda clarified. When asked about the turnover of MSME traders inside the rest area during the school holiday season, Dina Yunanda confirmed there was a clear increase. ‘We never actually ask about their turnover, but recently there was data requested by the Ministry of MSMEs from the traders, and we provided it to them to fill in; it has indeed gone up,’ she said. According to Dina Yunanda, the increase in turnover for MSME players at the Banjaratma Heritage Rest Area can also be seen from their social media statuses. ‘From their statuses, they say things like, “lempoh rak popo nek bendina koyok ngene” (it’s okay to be tired if every day is like this),’ Dina Yunanda remarked. The Heritage Rest Area KM 260 B - Banjaratma, which is a former Banjaratma Sugar Factory building in Bulakamba District, Brebes Regency, Central Java, is the largest rest area in Central Java.