Traffic congestion returns in East Jakarta after Eid holiday

One motorcyclist, Hasan (36), said he had anticipated the congestion by leaving home earlier. “I’ve started work today, heading to Mega Kuningan in South Jakarta. The first day back to work after Eid is definitely going to be very congested, so I’ve anticipated it by leaving earlier,” said Hasan in East Jakarta on Monday. Hasan stated that the route is the main access to his workplace, so he must face the congestion to get to work. “Usually, I go through here because it’s the main road. So, like it or not, I have to go through here,” he said. Another motorcyclist, Kevin (30), said something similar. He mentioned that the roads around Jatinegara are starting to get congested and are filled with motorcyclists heading to work or dropping off their children at school. “It has to be faced. Because today everyone is starting work and school simultaneously, so all activities are back to normal,” said Kevin. He also hoped for concrete steps from the government to ease the congestion, particularly regarding the high volume of vehicles from Bekasi heading to Jakarta. “Jakarta’s congestion is definitely increasing; there should be more officers regulating traffic so it doesn’t get even worse,” said Kevin. On the first day back to work, Monday morning, heavy traffic was observed on several main roads, one of which is Jalan Basuki Rachmat in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, heading towards Jalan Raya Casablanca in Tebet, South Jakarta. Observations at the location showed hundreds of vehicles crowding the road since morning. Traffic flow appeared sluggish with stop-and-go conditions. Private vehicles and motorcycles dominated the roads, as residents’ activities returned to normal after the long Eid al-Fitr holiday. The congestion was also worsened by the increased volume of vehicles from Bekasi heading to office areas in Tebet to Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta. That route is often known as one of the main accesses for workers from buffer regions to the business centre in the capital. However, despite the dense traffic conditions, many residents still choose the main route because it is considered the fastest compared to other alternatives.