Traffic arrangements to shorten trip home

Traffic arrangements to shorten trip home

Wahyuana and Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post/Bekasi/Jakarta

Agus Mahmud had planned to spend seven hours on the Jakarta-
Cikampek toll road, and 20 hours in total, most of it in heavy
traffic, to reach his hometown Yogyakarta for Idul Fitri on Nov.
14 and Nov. 15.

But to his and other holidaymakers' relief, toll road operator
PT Jasa Marga has announced that it will make special traffic
arrangements on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road to cut the time
travelers will have to spend on the road.

For the four days before and the day after Idul Fitri, the
toll road will be open only to people traveling from Jakarta to
West Java, Central Java and East Java via Subang.

Vehicles entering Jakarta via the toll road will have to take
an alternative route from Karawang, which will take them through
the Kota Bukit Indah housing estate and back onto the toll road
at the Kalihurip toll gate.

"We are making these arrangements in anticipation of a 150
percent jump in the number of motorists on the toll road compared
to normal days," said A. Tito Karim, head of the Jakarta-Cikampek
toll road operator.

The 76-kilometer toll road is the main route connecting
Jakarta with other areas.

Tito said that on regular days more than 200,000 vehicles used
the road, while in the days before and after Idul Fitri that
number can reach up to 380,000.

Those people going to Bandung and Purwakarta for the holiday
have been advised to take the Sadang II toll road, which is still
under construction.

"The line will only be open for the seven days before and the
day after the holiday. Only small vehicles such as minibuses,
cars and jeeps will be allowed on the road. Big vehicles are
forbidden," Tito said.

In other holiday news, the Jakarta Police plan to increase
their patrols of residential areas, where many houses will be
left vacant by owners returning to their hometowns for Idul
Fitri.

The police also will increase their patrols of toll roads in
Greater Jakarta, including the Cikampek, Cikarang and Jatibening
toll roads, as well as the toll road to Soekarno-Hatta airport.

"Subprecinct police stations in residential areas will
coordinate with community and neighborhood unit heads in securing
the areas," city police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said.

Concerned by the possibility of bombings, police said they
planned to step up security throughout the capital during Idul
Fitri.

"We will beef up security from Nov. 7 until 15 days after the
holiday," Tjiptono said. "We will deploy 18,000 personnel, some
of whom will guard the city around the clock."

Police are also prepared to guard houses of worship and
schools for non-Muslims, mainly in Bekasi, Tangerang and Ciputat
in South Jakarta.

Officers also will be deployed at bus terminals, railway
stations, seaports, airports and other locations crowded with
holiday travelers before and after Idul Fitri.

"We will also deploy personnel at trade centers and shopping
malls, particularly before the holiday," Tjiptono said.