Toll Roads Overwhelmed with Trucks

Trucks, which are being driven out of the toll roads to Java’s northern coastal route, have the potential to cause congestion there. Traffic engineering is badly needed to prevent severe congestion.

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

Vehicles move at a snail\'s pace on the Outer Ring Road in Kampung Rambutan, East Jakarta, Thursday (7/6/2018). In a bid to ease traffic in the lead up to Lebaran, cargo trucks have been prohibited from using toll roads from June 12, 2018, while peak traffic flow is expected to take place from June 8 to 10.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Utilizing the available time before the imposition of the truck ban, activities of intercity trucks have increased, with them crowding the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road, as evidenced in the density and long lines in rest areas, toll gates and toll exits.

The Transportation Ministry has ordered trucks not to use the Jakarta-Cikampek and Jakarta-Merak toll roads on June 8 from 6 p.m. to midnight on June 9, 2018. Over the two days the number of travelers using private cars is expected to jump. The order, which was issued on June 5, does not apply to trucks carrying fuel, livestock or staple food.

The order is expected to make the trucks avoid the toll roads to take the northern coastal route instead, which is used as a motorcycle lane. Therefore, on that date, congestion is expected along the northern coastal route.

Previously, Transportation Ministerial Regulation No. 34/2018 said trucks were banned from operating from June 12-14. The change was made as the Transportation Ministry predicted the peak of the exodus to shift from June 13-14 to June 8-9.

Based on Kompas’ monitoring along the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road, Thursday (7/6/2018), trucks of various sizes were seen crowding the road during the day, and their number increased during the night.

The lines and density of trucks were seen at the 19-, 37- and 57-kilometer point rest areas of the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road. The long lines were also seen along the truck lane starting from the entrance to the rest areas up to the refueling point.

"Since yesterday the queues had been long. Probably because the trucks speed up their activities before being prohibited to operate," said Damsen Hutagalung, 28), an officer at the 19-kilometer point rest area of the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road.

Irwansyah of Jasa Marga’s Public Relations Division of the Jakarta-Cikampek Branch acknowledged on Thursday the increased vehicle traffic flow on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road. "At the first shift 1 from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. there was an increase in traffic flow of vehicles entering the main Cikarang Toll Gate leading to Cikampek," he said.

Traffic increased by 24 percent from normal conditions, from 22,690 vehicles to 28,185.  The increase even exceeded the prediction of 26,928 vehicles.

Meanwhile, several stopover points for heavy trucks from other cities in Pulo Gadung Industrial Estate, East Jakarta, have been increasingly abandoned since Wednesday (6/6/2018) night. At the Pulokambing Raya, Pangkalan Rawabulak II and Pangkalan 30 points, the number of trucks has fallen from an average of 50 trucks per point to 30 trucks per point.

Police discretion

The head of the Highway Supervisory and Patrol subdivision, Sr. Comr. Bambang Sentot Widodo, urged truck drivers to abide by the order from the government not to operate on the toll road from June 8 to June 9, 2018. Even if there are trucks that insist on going ahead and use the toll roads, the police will monitor their movement.

The government has granted discretionary authority to the police to arrange the traffic. Monitoring will be done through hidden cameras and digital maps. "In the event of traffic jams during the homecoming trips, we will stop or direct the trucks to the park areas or places which can temporarily accommodate them," he said.

According to the police’s traffic corps, the peak of traffic jams during the exodus will likely happen at the 10-km point of the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road in  Cikunir area. In order to solve the congestion, the police will temporarily open and close certain lanes in the area. "For congestion on the northern coastal roads, we will apply the 3-1 pattern, namely vehicles from west to east will be allowed to use three lanes, while from the opposite direction use only one lane," he said.

Meanwhile, the National SAR Agency (Basarnas) will deploy 3,500 personnel to the exodus routes. Basarnas has also prepared six helicopters in six points which are prone to  congestion and accidents, namely Jakarta, Bogor, Ngalian, Surabaya, Denpasar and Tanjung Pinang.

"When traffic jams occur, we are ready to evacuate travelers who are seriously injured in traffic accidents, seriously sick and cannot be evacuated by road," said Head of Basarnas Vice Marshal M Syaugi.

Syaugi further said the northern coastal roads and the Jakarta-Surabaya toll roads prone to congestion and accidents may get special attention from Basarnas. Basarnas has also prepared SAR posts at the 102-km point of the Cipali toll road in Cirebon, Pekalongan and Semarang.

(JUM/COK/NSA/DIT/E21/E19/E06)