"After checking in the field preparations for home-bound trip locally called `mudik,` we are convinced that the flow of Lebaran travelers this year will be smoother and the services will be better," General Karnavian said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - With better infrastructures, the government has promised to do its best to provide smoother, safer, and more comfortable trips during post-fasting Eid ul-Fitr or Lebaran travelers exodus later this month.

Indonesia will once again see the exodus of the devout when a large number of Eid ul-Fitr revelers travel to be with their families and celebrate the Lebaran festivities in their hometowns. Tens of millions of Lebaran travelers across the country will be home-bound, going by air, land or sea.

National Police (Polri) Chief General Tito Karnavian is optimistic that the post-Ramadan fasting month Operation Ramadniya 2017, launched to support the smoothness of travelers flow, will be able to overcome problems such as those that occurred during the same exodus in 2016.

"After checking in the field preparations for home-bound trip locally called mudik, we are convinced that the flow of Lebaran travelers this year will be smoother and the services will be better," General Karnavian said in Purwakarta, West Java, on Wednesday (June 7).

The worst gridlock took place during the exodus on the Pejagan-Pemalang toll road in Java last year because the construction the turnpikes was not yet finished. "The main point of the traffic jam was at the Brebes toll exit (Brexit) because the rest of the toll road section was not yet finished there," Karnavian stated.

Besides smoothness of travelers flow, the government also promised to provide safer and more comfortable trips for travelers or pemudik in this years Eid ul-Fitr 1438 Hegira festivities, particularly pemudik using the land transportation facilities.

Director General of Land Transportation Pudji Hartanto, in a discussion on "Preparations for Safe and Convenient Trip," noted that his side is coordinating with relevant ministries/state institutions to prepare home-bound and return flows of Lebaran travelers.

"The important thing is that travelers feel comfortable, secure, and safe to reach their destinations. Thus, we have to prepare several matters related to the infrastructure, transportation modes, operators, and drivers," the director general remarked.

Transportation Ministry, Public Works/Public Housing Ministry, Health Ministry, Polri, National Search and Rescue Agency (SAR), and other stakeholders, including state-owned enterprises, are cooperating in making preparations for the home-bound and return flows of Lebaran travelers.

Hartanto said that one of the efforts being made is conducting vehicle ramp checks for all modes of land, sea, and air transportation. "Some 80 percent of the ramp checks have been done on all modes of sea, air, and land transportation. The health of drivers will also be checked," he remarked.

The directorate general of land transportation will also provide guidance for drivers and operators of the land transportation system in an effort to prevent the occurrence of accidents.

"We also provide free ride facilities for motorcyclists through trains, trucks, buses, and ships. This year, we also provide free ride for mudik travelers using rol-on-roll-off (RORO) ships from Jakarta, Surabaya (East Java), and Semarang (Central Java)," he revealed.

The Ministry of Transportation predicted that the peak of the travelers exodus would take place two and one days before the D-Day (H-2 and H-1), or on June 23 and 24 2017, until 15 days after the D-Day (H+15), or until July 11, 2017.

According to the National Police, the worst gridlock which took place last year at the Brexit point was also due to the fact that after the East Brebes toll road exit, there are subsequent roads with five railway crossings and a number of casual markets on the roadsides.

However this year, according to Karnavian, the construction of infrastructures has been accelerated, the toll road sections from Brebes to Garingsing stretching 110 kilometers could have been used for mudik travelers.

"Travelers could already use the toll roads to Slawi, Pemalang, Pekalongan, and Batang. They no longer need to exit through the Brexit gate to take the subsequent roads," noted Karnavian.

With Brebes-Gringsing toll road section becoming operational, the flow of travelers exodus is expected to be smooth during the mudik peak season.

Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said the readiness of road infrastructure this year is better than that in 2016, so that travelers could be served better than last year.

According to the minister, the northern coastal areas of Java which have two roads, one toll road and the other one non toll, will still be the main choice for Lebaran travelers in Java this year.

Hadimuljono explained that his ministry has prepared other national lanes, including the southern lane in Java and others highways in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Bali, and Sulawesi, all of which are targeted to have been in good conditions 10days before the Eid ul-Fitr D-Day on June 25, 2017.

The minister acknowledged that he had ordered the National Road Development Agency to carry out emergency repair of damaged roads to ensure the smoothness and convenience of travelers trips.

In Sumatra, certain sections of the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road are also to be operated, notably the Balaheuni-Terbanggi Besar at the 5-kilometer Lemantang-Kotabaru segment, Palembang-Indralaya at the 7-kilometer Palembang-Pamulutan segment, and the 36-kilometer long Pabarakan-Sei Rampah section.

The Eastern Sumatra Highway Lane, according to Road Construction Director General Arie Setiadi Moerwanto, is now relatively ready to serve the Lebaran travelers. Works are now carried out only on certain points to patch holes and to repair drainage and shoulders of roads.

"We have the target that all works will be completed 10 days before the Lebaran D-Day," Moerwnto said.

Earlier, Moerwanto also inspected the Jambi-Palembang-Lampung sections of the Sumatra Highway. "The distance from Jambi to Palembang can now be covered in 5.5 hours from the previous 11 hours," he pointed out.(*)

Reporter: Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017