Vehicles pass through a tollgate of the Bawen-Salatiga toll road, which has been opened to accommodate homebound travelers heading to celebrate Lebaran in Salatiga, Central Java, on Sunday (18/6).
Travelers who have been able to escape the traffic jam from Jakarta to Kendal will perhaps feel that they are finally approaching their destinations. Semarang city, which connected by toll road to Salatiga and the border of Demak, the traffic condition is far better.
However, expectations are often the opposite of reality. Along the route between the Kendal border and the Krapyak tollgate in West Semarang, is a persistent traffic jam that will extend their journey.
The area on either side of Jl. Semarang-Kendal is an industrial complex with housing, schools, and hospitals. Congestion is inevitable there when leaving for work. Thousands of workers in the area ride motorcycles and public transport, causing congestion on the 10-km road.
In addition, the state arterial road is linked to more than 50 smaller roads that connect residential neighborhoods in the area. The flows of cars, motorcycles, and bicycles further add to the traffic load on the state road.
The activities of traditional markets worsen the traffic congestion further, with pedicabs and pedestrians often crowding the road. The activities of hospitals and several schools and universities in the area usually add to the traffic problems.
During the current homebound exodus, however, students’ activities do not affect the traffic because they are on holiday.
When entering Krapyak tollgate, the threat of congestion reemerges. The limited number of tollgates and uphill entrances create difficulties for motorists and cause a long queue to form.
On normal days, due to traffic jams, the travel time on the route can reach two to three hours. During the exodus, the influx of homebound vehicles prolongs travel time, especially if there is no police intervention.
"I always reach Semarang before 3 o’clock. If it is later than that, there will be a heavy traffic jam because it is the rush hour when people go home from work,"said Suhartanti, a traveler from Jakarta. The area has no alternative route to Semarang. Such a route exists in Kendal, taking Waleri to Sukorejo, to Boja, and then entering Semarang through Gunungpati.
For travelers heading to Solo or Yogyakarta, they can go from Gunungpati to Ungaran and enter the toll road. However, they will encounter congestion at the exit gate of the Salatiga Toll Road in the Tingkir area. The constriction of the road causes a bottleneck for hundreds of vehicles.
With such problems, it is expected that the police will coordinate traffic engineering consistently to reduce the congestion in the area.
