Travelers inch their way home

Travelers inch their way home

JAKARTA (JP): The Idul Fitri journey home turned into a
nightmare yesterday for hundreds of thousands of travelers
trapped in the seemingly endless congestion of Java's highways
and seaports.

Jakarta's bus terminals and train stations were packed with
wayward travelers who failed to get seats as buses from Central
and East Java turned up hours late due to heavy traffic.

In West Java's Merak harbor, several hundred people reportedly
fainted after waiting in vain for buses to take them to Java or
ferries to Sumatra.

Frustrated by traffic gridlock, many people walked and carried
their luggage to the nearest bus station in Cilegon, 13
kilometers away from Jakarta.

One driver said it took him almost 24 hours to cover just 10
kilometers.

Others heading for Merak waited at the Kalideres bus station
in West Jakarta, where they waited two to six hours for buses.

Hundreds collapsed after being trodden by the masses in the
bus stations, forcing volunteers and officials to use fire engine
ladders to carry away the unconscious.

At the request of West Java Governor Nuriana, the Navy brought
relief with its ship, the Multatuli. However, with a capacity of
only 600 passengers, its effect was minimal for the thousands of
vehicles holding up traffic along the Cilegon-Merak road.

A Merak port official said it might take up to five days after
Idul Fitri to transport all the passengers.

Traffic everywhere was aggravated by vehicles breaking down
from overheating and other technical failures, while most repair
shops were closed because their mechanics had gone home for the
holidays.

In the hilly area of Nagrek near Bandung, eight people were
killed in bus crashes, which backed up traffic on the highway
connecting Bandung and Tasikmalaya.

In Jakarta's main bus stations, many travelers scrambled for
other means of transportation after spending the night, only to
find it impossible to get seats.

Many of the estimated 35,000 people stranded at the Pulogadung
bus terminal alone were forced to try their luck at train
stations in Senen and Jatinegara in Central and East Jakarta.

Emotions ran high as patience ran thin when train passengers
heading for Yogyakarta smashed windows to get fresh air, Antara
reported.

Traffic jams were also reported on Java's northern coast,
where vehicles crept along the road to the Cikampek toll road.

"This is the worst year of traffic I have ever seen," said
Suyanto, a Jakarta resident who returns to his home village in
Central Java every Idul Fitri.

In Lampung, South Sumatra, Deputy Governor of Lampung
Oemarsono, told officials of the Land Transport Agency and the
Bakauheni seaport to study the situation in Merak to avoid
similar occurrences in Lampung.

Bakauheni expects some 25,000 ferry passengers a day from
Merak in the next few days.

The Agency hopes a third port will be built in Merak so that
the maximum daily frequency of 42 return trips can be increased
to 63.

With two ports now, only 14 ferries carrying 3,000 vehicles
and 40,000 passengers can be operated per day.

At several bus terminals in Jakarta, the military command
dispatched 300 army trucks.

Soekarno-Hatta international airport also reported that
passengers were staying there for the night. All domestic flights
had to bring in more aircraft, with Garuda Indonesian Airlines
adding 40 airplanes.

Legislators who visited the airport yesterday said the
Ministry of Transportation should have anticipated the lack of
airplanes and long waits, which occur every year.

As of late yesterday, bus stations in Lebak Bulus, South
Jakarta and Kampung Rambutan, East Jakarta, were still jammed by
thousands of people waiting for buses.

In both stations ticket booths were closed and buses were
nowhere to be seen. Passengers only paid for their tickets when
they were successfully on board. Price tickets soared out of
control but no one complained.

"The normal ticket price of Rp 34,750 to Solo, Central Java,
climbed to Rp 50,000," said Sutini.

In Lebak Bulus, some said they had been waiting for three days
and were now prepared to board the buses through doors, windows
or any means possible. Some had already tried and failed but were
gearing up for today's competition.

"We've made it here, so we'll stick it out to the end," said
Nur, a mother of two infants waiting at Pulogadung for the bus to
Solo.

The Lebak Bulus and Kampung Rambutan stations saw some 12,000
passengers compared to the normal average of 5,000. (03/14/bsr/anr)

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