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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