Transportation officers busy as Idul Fitri influx hits city

JAKARTA (JP): Police and city land transportation personnel had their hands full at bus terminals and railways stations yesterday as an estimated 70,000 residents flooded back into the capital after the Idul Fitri holiday.

Data compiled by 2 p.m. yesterday at the Idul Fitri National Post revealed that 35,000 travelers were expected to arrive at the city's six main railway stations of Senen, Gambir, Manggarai, Jatinegara, Tanah Abang and Kota from throughout Java.

Meanwhile, at Pulogadung bus terminal, East Jakarta, 8,000 people had entered the city in 355 buses by the same time. At Kampung Rambutan bus terminal, also in East Jakarta, 7,800 passengers from East, Central and West Java were recorded during the period.

"Sunday's flow of passengers is quite heavy because on Monday they usually have to return to work," post official Yusmin said.

Buses were backed up trying to enter Pulogadung and many drivers were forced to let impatient passengers alight outside the terminal.

This created a safety headache for police officers and city land transportation personnel. They were kept busy ordering passengers to get back on the buses to prevent traffic congestion.

"Please, Mam, don't jump!" a terminal official shouted through a loud speaker as a woman tried to get off a moving bus.

"Stay on the bus. I repeat... stay there. It's better safe than sorry."

Similar chaotic scenes were played out at Kampung Rambutan terminal.

"But here, because the main terminal is far from public roads, there's no way passengers would get off the bus before it enters the checking points here," head of the terminal Yusran Tandjung said.

Meanwhile, the chief of the public order subdivision, Toha Reno, said over the weekend that his office, in cooperation with the city population agency, would launch an operation to identify beggars, vagrants and other "social undesirables" among the passengers and send them back to their hometowns.

"The operation is to be held mainly in bus terminals and railway stations. They will be easily spotted there," Toha said, adding that this was a routine operation to guard against the city becoming populated with undesirable elements.

The municipality predicts more than 300,000 of what are termed unwanted residents will enter Jakarta after the Idul Fitri holiday. (edt)