Smooth Traffic during Christmas Break

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Foto 4 HAL 1: Arus balik Natal Holidaymakers use the elevated section heading out of Jakarta at its juncture with the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road near Kilometer Marker (KM) 48 in Karawang regency, West Java, at 6:20 p.m. on Friday (20/12/2019). The volume of traffic on the toll road increased ahead of the Christmas and New Year holiday travel season.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The flow of vehicles coming in and out of Jakarta through the main Cikampek toll road during the year-end holidays is still relatively smooth.

As many people are still working, the flow of vehicles coming in and out the capital is not so dense. This was confirmed by the head of operations at the National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas), chief commissioner Benyamin, in Jakarta on Thursday (26/12/2019).

According to Benjamin, the flow of vehicles coming in and out of Jakarta during the Christmas and ahead New Year holidays is more evenly distributed.

It occurs because in the long Christmas and New Year holidays are interspersed with workdays.

The flow of the vehicles from outside the city after the Christmas holiday was relatively smooth. The number of vehicles heading to Jakarta totaled only 47,972 vehicles on Wednesday, while those leaving Jakarta amounted to only 47,653 vehicles on the same day. Many vehicles still left Jakarta even after Christmas.

"It occurs because in the long Christmas and New Year holidays are interspersed with workdays," said Benjamin.

Christmas holidays fall on 21-22 Dec., while 23 Dec. is a working day and 24 Dec. is a mandatory collective leave day and 25 Dec. is a national holiday. On 26 Dec., the people have to return to work until 27 Dec. 27 before having their regular weekend holidays.

Due to this condition, many people took short holidays. Many residents left Jakarta to relax outside the city in the morning and returned to Jakarta in the afternoon or evening. The situation in the toll road was also normal and there was no severe congestion because the flow of vehicles coming in and out of the capital was evenly distributed.

So far, Benjamin has not seen any severe traffic jams. The police usually open contraflow traffic if there is heavy traffic in the toll road.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

An aerial photo of the flow of vehicles from Jakarta on the Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll section toward the Kilometer Marker (KM) 48 meeting with the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road in Karawang regency, West Java, Friday (20/12/2019) at 6:20 p.m. The density of vehicles on the toll road has increased ahead of Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

The director-general of Land Transportation of the Transportation Ministry, Budi Setyadi, explained that the redirection of the traffic flow during the Christmas and New Year holidays can be imposed as part of emergency measures. The traffic redirection such as contraflow and one-way traffic can be made if there is overcrowding.

"We will not enforce one way or contraflow if the traffic flow is still normal as it is now. Today (Friday) is estimated there will be the peak of the reverse flow, but it is still normal," he said on Thursday.

The director of the Institute of Transportation Studies, Darmaningtyas, believed that the number of vehicles coming in and out of Jakarta the day after Christmas is evenly distributed because of the Christmas and New Year holidays are interrupted by working days. "So, the homecoming flow will be scattered," he said.

Friday or day is predicted to be the peak of the arus balik (contra flow), when people return back to cities after celebrating holidays in their home towns.

Most peaceful Christmas

The government had ensured that the 2019 Christmas celebrations would take place peacefully without any t security concerns. Now, the government is trying to ensure that the New Year 2020 celebration also takes place safely and comfortably by involving all stakeholders and community elements.

Political, Legal and Security Affairs Coordinating Minister Mahfud MD said a number of church leaders had appreciated the government because Christmas celebrations were safe and peaceful throughout Indonesia.

If there were small ripples in the area, they were not able to provoke and disturb the national condition.

"Church leaders say Christmas this year is the safest and most peaceful in the past decade. This achievement will not happen without the cooperation of all parties, from the government, security forces, to the community,” said Mahfud.