Traffic Jam Points Shifted

New toll roads bring new challenges. Traffic congestion is expected not only at old points in the road, but also at new ones. In addition, the availability of facilities for homebound travelers needs attention.

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar toll road project, Lampung, on Friday (1/6/2018). In the upcoming Lebaran festivity, a number of segments that are parts of the toll road will be used to help ease the flow of traffic.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The government has provided sufficient routes for travel this year’s Idul Fitri mudik (exodus) season, including toll roads, intercity roads and alternative roads. Nevertheless, good and measurable traffic management is key to preventing severe traffic congestion.

The homebound travelers have some alternative roads and, therefore, they should not focus on the new toll roads. With the extended Idul Fitri holiday, they have ample time to decide when and which routes to take on their homebound travel.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said in Jakarta on Sunday (3/6/2018) that he hoped homebound travelers would not make their journeys at the same time. “With the extended holiday, the mudik travelers can choose when (to travel). Time management should be given attention,” said Budi.

The peak of homebound travel is estimated to hit six days before Idul Fitri on June 9 at the Cikarang Toll Gate in West Java or five days before Lebaran on June 10 in Semarang. The government has set the Lebaran holiday for June 11-20.

Budi said the use of various modes of transportation was expected to be optimal, and that homebound travelers not rely exclusively on the toll road. Free mudik transportation services were also expected to reduce the use of private cars.

“Truly, I am worried the populace will all use the Jakarta-Surabaya toll road. If all use the toll road, it would cause congestion. Thus, I recommend the people to also use intercity roads or take the train, plane, bus or ship. We are also providing 15,000 free spots for motorcycles. There are still 3,000 slots available,” said Budi.

Land transportation director general Budi Setiyadi at the Transportation Ministry said that aside from toll roads, the government had also prepared intercity roads in northern and southern Java. These intercity roads could be an alternative to toll roads for mudik travelers. Not only were the intercity roads improved, there were rest stops along those routes.

The ministry has projected that the number of homebound travelers this year would reach 19.5 million, a 15 percent increase from last year. Of that number, 16.68 million people, or 85.53 percent, are estimated to use land transportation.

Those using private cars are projected at 3.72 million people, or a 16.69 percent increase from last year; bus passengers will reach 4.63 million people, a 5 percent increase from last year. Meanwhile, motorcyclists will reach 8.33 million people, a 30.44 percent increase from last year.

Congestion

This year, the government is making available the 759-kilometer Jakarta-Surabaya toll road and the 244-kilometer toll road in Sumatra spanning. Of these toll roads, 235 km of the Jakarta-Surabaya toll road and 125 km of the Sumatra toll road are functional.

Based on Kompas’s observation on the Jakarta-Surabaya toll road, the potential spots for congestion include old and new locations. The new congestion spots are on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road, the Pemalang exit gate and Kalikuto exit gate in Kendal.

On the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road, the potential for congestion is due to the elevated toll road construction. At the Pemalang toll road exit, the vehicles from the toll road will converge with cars on the intercity road and the Pemalang ring road. Meanwhile, in Kalikuto, Kendal, toll road vehicles will converge with those from the intercity road.

Meanwhile, the points of congestion on the Jakarta-Surabaya toll road will be at the toll road exits at Palimanan (Cirebon), Brebes, Ungaran and Bawen. On the Semarang intercity road, potential congestion spots are in areas near Krapyak and Kaligawe, which are frequently inundated by rising seawater.

Traffic management

National Police traffic corps chief Insp. Gen. Royke Lumowa said the unit was working with toll road operator PT Jasa Marga to determine the potential locations of traffic congestion. They have several scenarios to deal with the increasing traffic at the Cikampek, Palimanan, Brebes, Gandulan (Pemalang) and Manyaran (Semarang) toll road exits.

The scenarios range from diverting traffic, contraflow and one-way traffic. The traffic control at the Cikarang Utama and Palimanan tollgates use a counting system. “If there is traffic congestion, we will apply the contraflow system, diverting the traffic from the toll road to the intercity road to divide the volume of traffic and to apply the open-closed road system,” said Royke.

PT Jasa Marga Semarang-Batang president director Arie Irianto said the functional part of the Batang-Semarang toll road would be one way with two lanes. There will be four temporary rest areas and four parking lots every 10 kilometers.

“The facilities at the temporary rest areas include a prayer room, portable toilet, marquees, a refueling station and health clinic, while the parking lots facilities are a prayer room and toilets,” said Arie.

Arie ensured that the Batang-Semarang toll road would be ready by June 3, or 12 days before Lebaran. Of the total 75 km, around 57 km was rigid pavement and the remaining 18 km was LC, or layered concrete 10 centimeters thick.

One of the critical spots on the Batang-Semarang toll road is the Kalikuto Bridge. “The Kalikuto Bridge will be ready two days before Lebaran, although the Batang-Semarang toll road will be ready on June 3,” said Arie.

PT Pertamina acting president director Nicke Widyawati said that aside from the refueling stations on the toll road, Pertamina would also sell fuel at 60 outlets, 16 mobile fuel dispensers and through 200 motorcycle fuel distributors that were stationed every 20 kilometers along the toll road.

“They will also be deployed on the intercity road to anticipate congestion after the toll road exits,” she said.

(DIT/JUM/SYA/HEN/VIO/DKA/INK)