The operational ban on trucks during the Idul Fitri exodus, starting from June 12, may potentially worsen traffic along Java’s northern coastal route from June 9 to 10. Meanwhile, on Java’s southern coastal route, bridge constructions pose a challenge.
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CIREBON, KOMPAS – Homebound journeys for this year’s Idul Fitri exodus are expected to start on Monday, June 11, the first day of common leave. However, as the preceding Friday (8/6/2018) will be the last day of work before the common leave, some holidaymakers may start their homebound journeys on Friday and Saturday (9/6/2018) to beat traffic.
Last year, homebound journey traffic peaked on June 23, two days before Idul Fitri. At the time, the Transportation Ministry had imposed an operational ban on trucks from June 21, four days before Idul Fitri.
State highway operator PT Jasa Marga operational director II, Subakti Syukur, said the agency predicted increased traffic from one to eight days before Idul Fitri. “Homebound journey traffic is predicted to peak six days before Idul Fitri, on Saturday,” he said in Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java, on Thursday.
The agency predicts that 112,000 vehicles will pass through the Cikarang Utama tollgate toward Cikampek, a 59 percent increase from normal traffic, at the peak of the homebound journey traffic.
The Transportation Ministry land transportation directorate general will impose an operational ban for trucks on highways between June 12 (three days before Idul Fitri) and June 14 (one day before Idul Fitri).
PT Jasa Marga Semarang branch general manager Johanes Mancelly said in Semarang on Friday that he predicted homebound journey traffic to peak on June 10. He said he expected 40,229 vehicles to pass through the Manyaran tollgate, a 144 percent increase from normal traffic.
Transportation Ministry land transportation directorate general spokesman Pitra Setiawan said that, in the formulation of Transportation Ministry Regulation No. 34/2018, an agreement was reached with businesspeople that the operational ban on trucks would not be imposed for too long. This is to avoid the ban from disrupting exports and imports.
The Transportation Ministry’s regulation stipulates an operational limitation on vehicles with more than three axes and permitted weight (JBI) of more than 14,000 kilograms. The ban does not apply to trucks carrying fuel, gas fuel, cattle, staple food, money and postal items, as well as trucks offering free Idul Fitri transportation services.
The operational limitation will be imposed on toll roads including Jakarta-Merak, Jakarta-Semarang, Purwakarta-Bandung-Cileunyi (Purbaleunyi), Semarang Sections A-B-C, Semarang-Salatiga, Prof Sedyatmo, Surabaya-Mojokerto, Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) and Jakarta-Bogor-Ciawi (Jagorawi) up to Cigombong. The limitation will also be imposed on national roads including Pandaan-Malang, Probolinggo-Lumajang, Denpasar-Gilimanuk and Jombang-Caruban.
Rules on the transport of goods are also expected to be imposed on Java’s northern coastal (pantura) national road, a popular route for holidaymakers using motorcycles during the Idul Fitri exodus. This is to anticipate traffic snarls involving trucks and motorcycles on the route.
In an observation on Thursday, Kompas found that the roads on non-toll exodus routes, including the pantura road in West Java and Central Java, were mostly in good condition. However, potential traffic backlogs may occur in Bekasi city as well as Bekasi and Karawang regencies in West Java; and in Pekalongan city and regency in Central Java.
Meanwhile, construction of the Luk Ulo bridge on the southern coastal route in Kebumen, Central Java, has been accelerated to ensure the bridge can be used during the Idul Fitri exodus. The number of workers and working hours has been increased to ensure that Java’s southern coastal route will be ready for the exodus three days before Idul Fitri.
In an observation on Friday, Kompas found that construction work was still ongoing at the Luk Ulo bridge in Ayamputih village, Buluspesantren district, Kebumen. Of its five planned girders, one 40-meter girder had not yet been installed.
Commitment-making official (PPK) Andi Nugroho Jati of the Public Works and Housing Ministry’s national highway construction agency (BBPJN) VII, which oversees projects in the Jladri-Tambakmulyo-Congot area, said the last girder would be installed on Monday.
The Luk Ulo bridge is expected to be completed on June 8. However, the bridge will be opened three days before Idul Fitri to ensure that the concrete has hardened.
In Malang, East Java, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said on Friday that three things should be prepared to ensure holidaymakers’ safety and comfort during the Idul Fitri exodus, including infrastructure, traffic engineering and motorists’ behavior. “Infrastructure is ready, in general,” he said.
Merapi eruption
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Mount Merapi erupted again on Friday (1/6) morning. There are concerns that a continued eruption will disrupt the exodus traffic, especially air traffic. Friday’s eruption disrupted flights to and from Surakarta’s Adi Soemarmo International Airport, Semarang’s Ahmad Yani International Airport and Yogyakarta’s Adisutjipto International Airport.
State airport management company PT Angkasa Pura I, which manages Adi Soemarmo airport, said that the airport was temporarily closed between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Twelve scheduled flights to and from Surakarta were affected, including flights operated by Citilink, Garuda Indonesia, Batik Air, Lion Air and Sriwijaya Air.