Eid Reverse Exodus Traffic Expected to Peak on 8,9 June: Transportation Minister

Transportation Minister and East Java Governor answer reporters’ questions at Kalianget seaport in Sumenep regency, Monday (3/6). (Photo by: Transportation Ministry)

The peak of this year’s Eid Day reverse exodus traffic heading to Jakarta is expected to occur on 8 and 9 June 2019, according to Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi.

He added that because this year’s reverse traffic period is shorter than the homebound traffic period, the Minister urges the public to well plan their trip back to Jakarta to prevent traffic build-up.

“We don’t have much time between Eid Day and the day when most people have to go back to work. Therefore, we advise the public to return on 6,7, or 10 June because 8 and 9 June are expected to be the peak of the reverse exodus traffic. We can image the congestion. We had eight days for exodus traffic period but we only have four or five days to return,” he said at Kalianget seaport in Sumenep regency, Monday (3/6).

The Minister explained that Ministry of Transportation, along Traffic Corps of the National Police (Korlantas) and other related stakeholders, is currently preparing strategies to handle this year’s reverse exodus traffic.

For the record, as of Monday (3/6) – or two days before Eid Day, the Government still imposed a one-way traffic on Jakarta-Cikampek toll road, starting from 70-km point until 414-km point at Kalikangkung toll road gate. The one-way traffic was previously planned to be imposed until Sunday (2/6).

According to the Minister, the one-way traffic system is effective to ease traffic congestion that is still reported two days before Eid Day. He added that the one-way traffic system would be dynamic and take into account of circumstances, adding that if traffic on the toll road gets smoother, the one-way traffic system will not be imposed until 9 pm.

“So far, the one-way traffic system has been successfully implemented and can ease the traffic. Today we are going to reduce the hours of the implementation of the system. Once the traffic has eased, we will stop the system,” he said.

It is also scheduled that the one-way traffic system will also be imposed during this year’s exodus reverse traffic period from 8 June until 10 June starting from 189-km point on Palimanan toll road until 70-km point on Jakarta-Cikampek toll road at Main Cikampek Toll Gate. (BKIP Kemenhub/EN)

Translated by: Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas