Transportation Ministry Bans Reverse Flow Traffic to Jakarta After Eid al-Fitr

Infographics of Mudik Transportation Control 2020. (Source: Ministry of Transportation)

Ministry of Transportation has announced that it has banned mudik (annual exodus ahead of the Eid-al-Fitr) activities and the reverse flow traffic.

This is in line with Minister of Transportation Regulation Number 25 of 2020 on Transportation Control during the Idul Fitri Homecoming Year 1441H and Circular Number 4 of 2020 from the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling on Travel Restrictions Criteria for People in the Context of COVID-19 Handling.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Transportation Spokesperson Adita Irawati revealed that the Ministry has coordinated with all relevant stakeholders to tighten transportation control supervision after the Eid al-Fitr, from 26 May 2020 until the time determined by the Task Force.

According to Adita, the Ministry has also coordinated with the Task Force, the Jakarta Provincial Government, and the National Police, in restricting the movement of people in and out of Jakarta, which includes Exit and Entry Permit (SIKM) as its requirement.

Adita also stated that in regard to supervision of transportation nodes, such as at bus terminals, airports, ports and railway stations, the Ministry has added personnel to tighten document checking at the departure points.

“All passengers who do not meet the stipulated terms and conditions will not be permitted to leave,” Adita said.

The Government through the Task Force has made it clear that people who want to travel by public transportation or private vehicles must show a certificate of having taken the Rapid Test with an expiration period of 3 (three) days or a certificate of having taken the PCR Test with an expiration period of 7 (seven) days. Failing to show the certificate at any checkpoint will result in the travel ban.

For travelers who use air transportation, in addition to having to show the conditions in accordance with the Task Force Circular, they must also be able to show COVID-19 negative certificate from the PCR test with an expiration date of seven days.

The test must be carried out in the city of departure and not at the airport. Failing to show these requirements, travelers cannot travel by plane.

This policy, according to Government Spokesperson for COVID-19 Achmad Yurianto, is a preventive effort to control COVID-19 transmission in Jakarta.

“Stay at your hometown for a moment, do not go to Jakarta to make your livelihoods in this time of COVID-19 pandemic,” Yurianto said.

Yurianto expected that people will comply with this policy. “If the public is undisciplined and does not comply with this policy, it will create even bigger problems because Jakarta is still the epicenter of COVID-19,” he explained. (Ministry of Transportation/EN)

Translated by: Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Reviewed by: Mia M. Bonaedy