The government recommends going home early to avoid traffic jams in Cipali

The Cipali toll road is predicted to become a traffic jam for homecoming traffic in 2024. It is recommended to go home early to avoid traffic jams.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Officers monitor traffic flow on several toll roads at the Police Traffic Command Center Building, Kilometer 188 of the Cipali Toll Road, Cirebon Regency, West Java, on Monday (1/4/2024).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — To reduce the peak homecoming flow on the Cikopo-Palimanan Toll Road, Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi appealed to homecoming travelers to avoid departures from Friday to Monday, April 5-8. This toll road section will become the first congestion node because the eight lanes of the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road and the Cipularang Toll Road will converge into four lanes.

The government has mapped the Cikopo-Palimanan (Cipali) toll road as one of the crucial toll roads for homecoming traffic Lebaran 2024. Various scenarios have been prepared, namely implementing a one-way system (one way), taking part of the route in the opposite direction (contraflow), and an odd-even system.

"The most significant contraction occurred on Toll Road Cipali," said Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi after the release of the 2024 Mudik Gesit Team by Kompas TV at the Kompas Tower in Jakarta on Wednesday (3/4/2024).

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The road has become a high-risk congestion spot as vehicles from Jakarta and Bandung meet at one point heading towards Central Java and East Java.

Vehicle congestion is predicted to significantly increase ahead of the joint holiday on April 5-7, 2024. The peak of the congestion is expected to occur when the joint holiday starts and the peak of the homecoming traffic coincides on April 8, 2024.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi (left) and Minister of Public Works and Housing Basuki Hadimuljono attended a working meeting with the DPR Commission V in the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta on Tuesday (2/4/2024).

Therefore, Budi said that residents who will be going on a homecoming journey through that route can choose another time or leave earlier to avoid traffic congestion.

Because, according to the Ministry of Transportation's Survey of Potential Movement of Eid Transportation in 2024, there will be a movement of 193.6 million people who will be mobile during the Eid holiday. This includes movement within a single district/city.

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He urges residents to use intercity public transportation. He suggests that residents not use motorcycles for long-distance travel. This is because motorcycles contribute to around 70 percent of accidents.

"For motorcycle drivers, there is still free sea route homecoming. It still exists from Jakarta to Semarang. There are also still trains available," said Budi.

At the same time, the Director of Security and Safety of the Traffic Corps of the Indonesian National Police, Brigadier General (Pol) Bakharuddin Muhammad Syah, stated that the police have coordinated with the Ministry of Transportation and other agencies to anticipate congestion. The police have prepared a number of traffic management schemes throughout the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

The policies that will be implemented by the police are one way and contraflow. For the odd-even policy, Bakharuddin said that steps would be taken by looking at the situation on the ground. If this is not possible, the policy is not implemented.

"If it is one way it will definitely (be carried out) on April 5-7 2024 from 16.00-24.00. "We'll see the situation later," he said.

Safe homecoming

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

A car with additional cargo parked at a rest area on the Cikampek Toll Road at Km 57A in Karawang, West Java, on Wednesday (3/4/2024). Some residents chose to go on their mudik (return home for the holidays) early to avoid congestion during the peak of the 2024 Lebaran mudik.

Regarding residents who still choose to go on the mudik (annual exodus) with private cars, he urges them to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. In addition, drivers are required to be in good health.

Ideally, according to Bakharuddin, drivers should take a break every four hours of driving. Rest areas can be chosen along the way. This is because the government and private companies have opened many rest areas during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in 2024.

"When the rest area is full, look for a safe place. "Don't be on the shoulder of the road," he said.

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He requested that travelers with private vehicles equip themselves with as accurate and as much information as possible to support driving comfort and safety. Among these are information regarding gas stations, hotels, or restaurants.

"All drivers must also understand the route they are taking. Understand the area,” he said.