Plain Sailing for Returning Travelers

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Thousands of motorbike travelers entering the Merak port, Cilegon, Banten, Saturday (30/4/2022) morning. The density of motorcyclists has been going on since the early hours of the morning.

The longing for mudik (exodus), which had been postponed for two Lebaran seasons because of the pandemic, was finally fulfilled. The relatively untroubled homecoming trips this year embellished the joy of celebrating Lebaran in hometowns.

The fears of the 2022 mudik turning into an excruciating ordeal in a traffic standstill -- many even fearing a possible repeat of the 2016 Breksit (Brebes Tegal Toll Exit) tragedy due to the overwhelming explosion of travelers -- did not materialize. The caravan of travelers leaving Greater Jakarta (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi) did not appear to be stuttering from D-10 to D-1 prior to Lebaran.

In fact, handling the traffic during the 2022 mudik season could have been more complicated than the previous two years given the fact that the number of vehicles leaving Greater Jakarta between D-10 and D-3 increased by 17.6 percent as compared to normal conditions, and the number of travelers was well above that in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred.

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However, it appeared that traffic was relatively untroubled. Cases of serious congestion hardly occurred. A long traffic jam was observed along a road section leading to Merak ferry port in the last few days, but the situation was immediately unraveled by opening the commercial port to allow greater movement of passengers or logistics transfers.

Based on data at state-owned insurance company Jasa Raharja, the number of traffic accidents in 2022 decreased significantly from 2019. In the period from April 25 to May 2, there were 3,194 road accidents with 441 deaths. The same period in 2019 recorded 4,083 accidents with 824 deaths. In other words, the number of accident cases dropped by 22 percent and fatality plunged by 46 percent.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

The MBZ flyover towards Karawang is closed in South Bekasi District, Bekasi City, West Java, Tuesday (3/5/2022). The open and close system is implemented to reduce congestion at the intersection of the MBZ toll flyover and the lower lane of the Km 48 Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road.

Well-managed traffic allowed travelers to reach their hometowns in peaceful psychological condition and some even arrived home in time for Eid prayers in a fresh state of mind. The effortless journey also aided regional economies. A number of regions optimized the momentum to boost their finances.

The Trans-Java toll road, which already rolls through to the east of Java Island, contributed greatly to the traffic flow. Traffic management and arrangement succeeded in anticipating the traffic load, thanks to the readiness of road officers in responding to the ongoing conditions. Thumbs up to the Transportation Ministry, Police Traffic Corps and other relevant institutions involved in the management of the 2022 mudik season.

We also applaud the travelers, who numbered some 85 million, far more than those in the previous years. Without their self-awareness and willingness to abide by regulations, it would have been much more difficult to direct the mudik traffic.

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However, the traffic management in the 2022 mudik season is not over yet. It remains to be seen how the backflow of travelers, which traditionally poses a higher risk, runs. During the backflow, travelers return in droves at the same time. Many of the returning travelers might be enduring celebration hangovers.

Another crucial task is to anticipate the COVID-19 spike. The enthusiasm to rejoin mudik, after much delay and subsequent yearning, could cause many citizens to lapse in health protocols. They might neglect wearing masks, maintaining distance or washing hands. Hopefully the return will be just as untroubled as the original mudik, and COVID-19 cases remain under control. Only under those circumstances do we all deserve to cherish a win on “victory” day.

This article was translated by Musthofid.