There is still a lot of room for improvement in maintaining Eid
Continuous improvements must be made, especially regarding the safety of travelers' lives.
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The atmosphere of the Eid al-Fitr 1445 Hijri prayer at the Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta, Wednesday (10/4/2024).
The Eid al-Fitr holiday has passed. in 2024, the holy month of Ramadan leading up to Eid al-Fitr will feel special. The Ramadan fasting coincides with the fasting of Hindu believers in the Nyepi commemoration and Christian believers in the celebration of Easter. These three spiritual events occur amidst the political turmoil following the Presidential Election, which is still accumulating in the Constitutional Court's trial for alleged election fraud.
This call to fasting urges Indonesian society to cool their hearts so as not to be influenced by a surge of emotions. In its implementation, Ramadan indeed always requires careful and thorough planning. Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr occur every year, and every year we see changes and developments, albeit small ones.
Also read: Dozens of hours of traffic jams color the flow of Eid 2024
In general, the month of fasting until Eid went well. Homecoming flow and returning flow are also relatively smooth. Every party involved, from the government, private sector and society, ensures that Ramadhan and Eid take place solemnly and steadily. Personnel from the National Police, TNI, transportation service providers, and others are working hard to ensure the smooth running of the annual exodus process ahead of Eid.
Various news, articles and analyzes published in Kompas show this. The Ministry of Transportation, police and Jasa Marga are trying to ensure that traffic flow does not experience obstacles. Moreover, the Ministry of Transportation estimates that there will be 193 million people returning home during Eid 2024. This number is up 56 percent compared to 2023.
Also read: Pilu and Laughter Behind the Sensation of Peak "Tourist Traffic Jams"
On the main homecoming routes such as Trans Java Toll Road, Trans Sumatra, Merak-Bakauheni crossing, the homecoming flow is running smoothly. The homecoming flow at the Merak-Bakauheni crossing experienced long queues, until finally they could be resolved in various ways.
Employees of Pertamina, PT ASDP Ferry Indonesia, Jasa Marga, and Astra Infra are working hard to ensure that services for travelers are fulfilled. Rest areas and fueling facilities are being maximized. The contributions of these workers cannot be overlooked in their significance.
Needs improvement
Nevertheless, a significant movement of people still leaves behind a number of issues that require improvement. The types of transportation used for homecoming, road conditions, the transportation system for homecomers, and the behavior of homecoming itself still show a number of problems that need to be addressed so that next year's homecoming and return flow will be much better.
Traffic accidents remain a yearly specter. Statistically, there has been a decrease in the number of fatalities. This can be seen from the data of the Indonesian National Police Traffic Corps which states there were 1,457 cases of accidents with 310 fatalities during the 2022 Eid al-Fitr transport season.
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The families of the victims of the Jakarta-Cikampek Kilometer 58 toll road accident visited the antemortem post to match data at the Karawang District Hospital, West Java, Monday (8/4/2024).
In 2023, there were 1,789 cases of accidents and 189 deaths. Meanwhile, as of Monday (16/4/2024), the Police Traffic Corps noted a 15 percent decrease in the number of accident cases compared to last year and a 3 percent decrease in the number of fatalities.
On the Cikopo-Palimanan Toll Road (Cipali), which is part of the Trans-Java Toll Road, there have been two fatal accident cases recorded. The first case occurred on April 8, with a total of 12 fatalities, including two children aged 10 and 14. Even a mother from Ciamis, West Java, lost her two daughters as a result of the tragedy. The second accident occurred on April 15 and resulted in one fatality.
Also read: KM 58 Dark "Travel" Accident Raises Local Transportation Network Problems
This incident shows that statistics must be interpreted with a guarantee of the safety of all transportation users. This cannot be solely burdened on certain parties, but rather requires structured, widespread, and sustainable improvements in the community.
The KM 58 accident case, for example, occurred due to the use of illegal travel (transport). According to the manufacturer's official website, the Daihatsu Gran Max passenger car has a capacity of seven passengers. In reality, it was filled with 12 people, not including luggage. Overloaded vehicles and sleepy drivers send everyone on board to their deaths.
Transportation expert from the University of Indonesia, Ellen Tangkudung, explained that this accident was due to poor integration of the public transportation system in various regions of Indonesia. The lack of available modes of transportation means travelers whose villages are far from urban areas take the risk of using transportation that does not guarantee their safety. A search of Kompas shows that it is difficult to track illegal travelers in the field because they are cars with black number plates, so they cannot be distinguished from regular travelers' cars.
Improvements are also needed in the management of free homecoming programs, both by the government and private sectors. This program greatly helps working-class communities who work away from home to be able to return and celebrate Eid with their families in their hometown. However, the various organizers of the free homecoming program make it difficult to standardize its implementation.
Also read: Free Homecoming, Flip Kembang Kempis
A number of programs do not provide free return services to migrants. In addition, the euphoria of obtaining free homecoming opportunities makes some travelers forget that the return flow is something that must be carefully considered. It is easy to blame them for being negligent in finding a way back to their hometown. However, returning to the argument of how important free homecoming programs are to help Indonesia's small people, it should be accompanied by a free return program.
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A total of 14 buses served 616 passengers from Purwokerto and its surroundings to return to Jakarta for free. The free homecoming convoy from the Ministry of Transportation departed from Bulupitu Terminal in Purwokerto, Banyumas, Central Java on Monday (15/4/2024).
From the toll road aspect, in general it functions quite well. There is a special note on the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road monitored by Kompas which is still in potholes. In Sumatra and Java, congestion problems generally occur on arterial roads that receive an overflow of vehicles leaving the toll road or as a result of the implementation of a one-way system.
As for the toll road, there is no recorded traffic jam, but rather slow-moving, causing vehicles to travel at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour. This also consumes more travel time.
Also read: Homecoming and Holidays via the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road
Have the courage to discipline
Mudik travelers are also not exempted from the need to correct their behavior, starting with ensuring their own safety. Urging them not to drive when drowsy is extremely important in protecting their own lives and others. Unfortunately, in some transportation providers, there are still those who force their drivers to work endlessly.
Also read: The culprit behind long queues of cars in Merak: Homecomers arrive not on schedule
The discipline of homecoming travelers also draws attention. This was evident at the Merak Port when 19,700 vehicles or 32 percent of the vehicles arrived without buying tickets when going home. They expected to be automatically crossed to Bakauheni. As a result, these 19,700 vehicles caused congestion and inconvenience for other responsible travelers who had purchased crossing tickets well in advance from the Ferizy application or website.
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Cars queue to enter the ship at the Merak Harbor Executive Pier, Cilegon, Banten, Sunday (7/4/2024).
The input from Deputy Chairman of Community Empowerment and Development of Indonesian Transportation Center, Djoko Setijowarno, is correct. "It would set a bad precedent if we allow cars to leave not according to the schedule. We must be firm so that it will not happen again in the following year," he said.
Similar strictness is also applied to violators of the odd-even system on toll roads. Head of the National Traffic Police Inspector General Aan Suhanan promised electronic traffic tickets to welcome violators after the holiday season. Hoping for discipline enforcement, Indonesian society should be able to enjoy the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays or next year's Eid with guaranteed traffic safety and comfort.
