The season ahead

The end of Ramadhan is the time of year when Indonesia's transportation system, its bureaucracy and network is the most severely tested. For as long as can be recalled, mudik -- the trek home by millions of people from cities back into rural areas -- has been a tradition that few Indonesians who can afford it want to pass over.

In the past, before overpopulation and urbanization made life so much more complicated for millions of Indonesians, this sentimental journey home posed few problems.

Though year-by-year the growing stream of mudik travelers grew more and more intense and put growing pressure on the country's infrastructure, the system continued to work.

It was only in the past several decades that this annual exodus began to reach proportions that far outstripped the bearing capacity of not only Indonesia's transportation system and network, but the organizational capabilities of the country's inept bureaucracy.

The situation is further aggravated, no doubt, by a combination of increased mobility and the poor condition of much infrastructure in the wake of the late 1990s economic crisis.

This year promises little respite. As the Idul Fitri end-of- Ramadhan holidays move nearer, government officials project a considerable growth in the number of both travelers and the vehicles that they will be using on the roads. At least 30 million Indonesians are expected to join the exodus this year -- some 14 million by bus, some four million on motorbikes and more than five million by private cars. The number of air travelers too is expected to sharply increase.

Anticipating snags in traditional problem areas such as along parts of Java's north coast and on the island of Sumatra, and apparently not leaving anything to chance, the authorities have already started issuing strict instructions to officials all down the line to ensure order. Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Chaerul Rasjid has even instructed his men to shoot highway robbers on sight. The Navy also is doing its part, ordering five of its warships to remain on standby to transport traveling Indonesians in case of a ferry shortage. The Air Force has issued similar orders.

If all this sounds like overkill, a quick reminder of the disorder that normally reigns in many of the country's transportation hubs, especially in big cities such as Jakarta, may convince the skeptic that such crisis measures may indeed be needed. Ticket scalpers, for example, are a common sight at Indonesian railway stations and bus terminals. Their presence is especially prominent during major holidays such as Idul Fitri. Little wonder that the newly installed minister of transportation, Hatta Rajasa, found it necessary on one occasion to visit these places incognito to personally catch a scalper red-handed.

Whatever one may think of the measures and actions which the authorities have so far taken, it is good to know that something is being done for Idul Fitri holidaymakers this year. For the large majority of Indonesian Muslims, the annual holiday is a big event for which they must spend with their families in their hometowns.

One thing is for certain. If these holidays go ahead without significant disruptions they will further boost the new government's credibility.