Observers are highlighting the capacity of toll road rest areas in the management of this year’s Idul Fitri travel season. Motorists require proper rest areas.
By
·4 minutes read
Kompas/Fajar Ramadhan
.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Observers are highlighting the capacity of toll road rest areas in the management of this year’s Idul Fitri travel season. Motorists require proper rest areas. However, due to these areas’ limited capacity, many motorists were unable to enter them and were forced to park their cars by the road side. This is a dangerous practice and causes traffic jams.
National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) chief Soerjanto Tjahjono said the government should evaluate toll road safety during this year’s Idul Fitri holidays.
“We saw several factors contributing to traffic accidents and drivers’ fatigue, including inadequate space at toll road rest areas. We always urge motorists to take a rest off the toll road,” Soerjanto said on Sunday (9/6/2019).
According to him, a lack of capacity at toll road rest areas gave motorists a hard time finding places to rest. This was one of the factors contributing to toll road traffic accidents.
For instance, a traffic jam of more than 10 kilometers on the trans-Java toll road in Cikampek toward Jakarta on Saturday (8/6) afternoon was caused by vehicles queuing up to enter the KM 62 rest area.
However, Soerjanto said that, in general, this year’s holiday travel management was much improved from last year’s, as seen in the decreasing number of traffic accidents.
National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas) data show that 509 accidents occurred nationwide in the period from seven days before Idul Fitri to two days after the holiday. This marked a 64-percent decrease from the 1,410 accidents recorded in the corresponding period last year.
Soegijapranata Catholic University transportation observer Djoko Setijowarno said in Semarang that the government should add more rest areas outside of toll roads to resolve the issue. They do not have to be spacious integrated areas. They only need to be close to toll road exits.
Traffic jams
Traffic jams were seen in several spots on tollways and regular roads amid returning holiday travel on Sunday (9/6). On the trans-Java toll road, another 10-kilometer backup was caused from KM 62 to KM 52 by vehicles waiting at a rest area.
To anticipate traffic jams, traffic police implemented a one-way traffic control system from KM 414 at the Kalikangkung toll gate in Semarang to KM 70 in Cikampek at 8:24 a.m. Originally, the one-way system was to be in place from noon to midnight.
On Sunday at 8 p.m., police extended the one-way system from KM 414 to KM 29 in Cikarang, Bekasi.
Korlantas chief Insp. Gen. Refdi Andri said the return travel peaked on Sunday. However, holidaymakers’ return flow to Jakarta was expected to last until Wednesday.
Refdi said that, during the holiday, around 1.5 million vehicles had left Jakarta in several phases for six days since May 30.
“The number of vehicles that have returned to Jakarta is less than 60 percent,” Refdi said.
One-way system’s effect
Traffic was also severely backed up on thoroughfares in Karawang regency heading to Cirebon city in West Java on Sunday. One traffic jam was caused by the one-way system on the trans-Java toll road during the return travel period.
Traffic backed up from Jl. Raya Klari to Jl. Ahmad Yani in Karawang and on the Jomin intersection heading to Jl. Arteri Cikampek Utama.
Motorist Abdul Hamid, 35, who was heading to Tegal, Central Java, said he had been stuck in the traffic jam from Karawang to Purwakarta for three hours. He said he could not use the toll road from Karawang to Tegal due to the one-way system on the trans-Java toll road.
Karawang Police traffic unit chief Adj. Comr. Bariu Bawana said the one-way system had contributed to severe traffic jams on the northern coastal (Pantura) road in Karawang.
On the southern route, traffic jams amid returning holiday travel were seen in Nagreg, Bandung regency, heading to Cileunyi. The Dangdeur Market, rest areas and gas stations were prone to traffic jams.
Bandung Police traffic unit chief Adj. Comr. Hasby Ristama said the police had implemented a one-way system from Limbangan and Kadungora in Garut to the Nagreg traffic circle in Bandung regency to anticipate intense traffic as holidaymakers return toward Jakarta.
