Arrival of 11.7 Million Homecomers, DIY Prevents Traffic Locking

The DIY Regional Government is anticipating the arrival of 11.7 million homecoming travelers. Traffic engineering is a mainstay weapon.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Indomie noodle restaurant entrepreneurs are preparing to travel back to their hometowns for the annual exodus event in the Mandala Krida Stadium yard in Yogyakarta on Monday (April 17, 2023).

YOGYAKARTA, KOMPAS – The Yogyakarta Special Region Government has prepared a number of anticipations ahead of the homecoming Eid 2024 a>, especially related to traffic engineering management. The Ministry of Transportation predicts that this province will be visited by 11.7 million travelers from a number of regions.

"We anticipate that there will be no locked(locking) of traffic flow on the road. "I'm not talking about traffic jams, but very congested conditions," said DIY Regional Secretary Beny Suharsono, in Yogyakarta, Thursday (28/3/2024).

A survey conducted by the Ministry of Transportation reveals that DI Yogyakarta has become a destination for 11.7 million people this year. This figure is the fourth-highest nationally after Central Java (61.6 million people), East Java (37.6 million people), and West Java (32.1 million people).

Beny stated that the DIY regional government will still coordinate with other stakeholder agencies to manage this year's exodus on Monday (1/4/2024). However, the main strategy applied to prevent traffic congestion is through traffic engineering.

HARIS FIRDAUS

DIY Regional Secretary Beny Suharsono.

One of the solutions is to direct those who are going to Kabupaten Gunungkidul but are on their way back to avoid passing through Yogyakarta. "They can take the southern route, for example, so they don't have to enter the city," said Beny.

Information about alternative routes will be spread at the entrance doors of Yogyakarta, especially from the north and west. In addition, there will also be traffic light settings within the city to quickly dispel congestion.

Also read: Many tourists visit the city center and mountain slopes in Yogyakarta

However, Beny acknowledged that in certain areas, traffic jams cannot be avoided due to the high enthusiasm of residents to visit, such as in Malioboro area or Parangtritis Beach. Based on experience every year, travelers also engage in tourism activities while in Yogyakarta.

Beny believes that this has a positive impact on DIY because there will be a significant money circulation for the regional economy. "If one traveler spends an average of Rp 500,000, we can calculate how much the economic turnover is," he said.

The Head of DIY Regional Police Inspector General Suwondo Nainggolan, on Wednesday (March 27, 2024) evening, said that the number of homecoming travelers to DIY does not yet include visitors from areas within Central Java. This usually happens on the first and second days of Eid al-Fitr.

This condition makes the situation in DIY different compared to other areas regarding traffic jams when returning home for Eid. "From the experience of the last two years, DIY at the peak of homecoming traffic is normal. "However, on the first and second days of Eid, traffic began to flow into DIY," he said.

Anticipating crowding at tourist attractions during Eid must be prepared early.

The increase in traffic flow in the DIY region actually occurs when the traffic flow in Central and East Java has lightened. "Perhaps the homecomers from Central Java, after their Eid al-Fitr visits, then went to DIY for a vacation," Suwondo continued.

To manage that much flow, he explained, one solution that can be implemented is traffic management. This, for example, performs a contraflow (opposite direction) scheme. "However, this will be adjusted to conditions and needs in the field," he said.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Police regulate traffic flow leading to Jalan Malioboro at Kewek Bridge, Kotabaru, Yogyakarta, Monday (1/1/2024).

Separately, researcher of the Tourism Study Center at Gadjah Mada University, Destha Titi Raharjana, stated that anticipation of crowds at tourist destinations during the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday season must be prepared early on. This includes calculating the actual maximum capacity of existing tourist destinations.

Tourist attraction managers and local governments must anticipate this surge by managing visitors. This can be helped by the Visiting Jogja application which provides real time information about the capacity of tourist attractions to the public.

In addition, Destha stated that it is necessary to implement a diversification strategy by creating cooperation between tourism regions. This can break tourists' concentration so that they do not accumulate in just one place.

Also read: Santorini, Gelato, and Gunungkidul