Comfort, safety sought for travelers in Ramadan rush

Jakarta, NU Online
With Ramadan under way, transport experts are calling on the authorities to intensify preparations for the out-of-town exodus that occurs toward the end of the holy month.

Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) chairman Danang Parkesit said on Wednesday the government must ensure that people going to their hometowns would be able to do so comfortably and safely.<<>br />
Every year, millions of people travel across the country to spend Idul Fitri, which marks the end of Ramadan, in their hometowns. Known as mudik , this period is often marred by long traffic jams and a rise in accidents, mostly involving motorcyclists.

“The main concern this year should be traffic during the return period after Idul Fitri,” Danang was quoted by the Jakarta Globe as saying, adding that in previous years, the government had only focused on the pre-Idul Fitri rush.

He said accidents on the return trip could be prevented by getting local authorities involved in monitoring traffic flow.

“Local residents in accident-prone areas must also be involved in securing the roads,” Danang said.

According to the MTI, most accidents during this period, which starts a day after Idul Fitri, are caused by driver fatigue, following hours spent behind the wheel in heavy traffic.

Meanwhile, Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi has vowed to make the mudik more comfortable for those taking public transportation.

“We’re working with the relevant operators to ensure better facilities on board trains, buses and ferries,” he said.

“We hope to have everything ready at least a week before Idul Fitri.”

He added one of the problems being addressed was that of unsafe railroad crossings.

On Wednesday, Central Java Transportation Office head Urip Sihabudin said railway safety measures were still lacking in the province, with 992 of 1,427 railroad crossings going unmanned.

“We urge the central government and the police, as well as local communities, to work together to prevent traffic accidents, especially during mudik, ” he said.

Urip warned that there was little time to fix the problem of unmanned crossings.

Central Java Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Joko Erwanto said 238 of the crossings did not have a boom gate.

“Forty-four people have been killed so far this year in accidents at these crossings,” he said. “It is a chronic problem we need to address.”

Joko called on travelers to be extra alert when crossing railroad tracks, particularly if there was no guard or boom gate.

Eko Budiyanto, spokesman for railway operator Kereta Api Indonesia’s Yogyakarta office, said rail crossing safety was the responsibility of local government.

“KAI is only the operator of the train services, while the government is the regulator and so should be responsible for this problem,” he said. “But we are willing to help any way we can.”

Central Java Police Chief Insp. Gen. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo, who is set to be recalled soon in a major reshuffle, said major road repairs along the north coast highway would be completed 10 days before Idul Fitri.

“We’re working hard to repair sections of the highway in Brebes, Tegal and the Roban Forest in Pekalongan over the next two weeks,” he said. (dar)