Road repairs ready for millions of travelers going home for holidays

Jakarta, NU Online
The Ministry of Public Works on Tuesday said major road repairs in many parts of the nation had been completed in anticipation of mudik, when millions of Muslims return to their hometowns to celebrate Idul Fitri on Sept. 10-11.

The exodus causes severe traffic jams and heavy road damage, particularly in Java and Sumatra.<<>;br />
“Our target was that by H-10 [10 days before Idul Fitri], repairs on infrastructure would be completed. We can say that now they [roads] can safely be driven on,” said Djoko Murjanto, director general of Bina Marga, which oversees the management of roads and toll roads.

“We have also finished repairs on bridges and roads along the north coast Pantura Highway, as well as on other routes, including Tegal in Central Java to Malang in East Java, and Pejagagan, Brebes, Pekalongan and Prupuk [in Central Java],” Djoko said as quoted by the Jakarta Globe.

“Road repairs have also been completed for the Bandung-Cileunyi-Nagrek route.”

The Public Works Ministry has allocated Rp 17 trillion ($1.9 billion) to improve road infrastructure this year.

Diko added the government believed traffic would be at its worst on Sept. 8, with the largest concentration of vehicles expected on roads from Jakarta to Cirebon, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Solo and Surabaya.

He said the ministry would also be keeping an eye on pasar tumpah, or market stalls that crop up along the roads, exacerbating traffic. “We will be watching for pasar tumpah , which we believe are likely to be opened at 78 separate spots. We will monitor this along with the police to make sure that vehicles [of travelers who stop to shop] are not parked on the road, causing traffic jams,” Djoko said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transportation announced on Tuesday that to decrease the number of motorcycles on the road during the holiday, it would initiate a pilot program to provide shuttles from Jakarta to Semarang and Purwokerto, two of the most popular destinations for mudik travelers in Java.

Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said two trucks, which can transport 72 motorcycles each, would be stationed beginning on Monday at Senayan’s eastern parking lot in Jakarta.

Bambang said the motorcycles’ fuel tanks must be empty before being loaded on the trucks to ensure safety. But motorcyclists would be provided a liter of fuel when they reached their destination.

He said the ministry would also provide six buses to transport motorcycle riders home.

To take advantage of the shuttle ride, motorcyclists must have helmets, a driver’s license and registration documents.

Also, their motorcycles are not allowed to have boxes attached to them.

In Semarang and Purwokerto, travelers can pick up their motorcycles at designated posts and continue their journey home. Bambang said this would reduce the number of accidents and traffic disruptions caused by overloaded motorcycles.

The ministry predicts that around 3.6 million people will travel by motorcycle during the Idul Fitri holiday season. (dar)