This year, travelers participating in the Eid exodus are predicted to jump significantly after the exodus was restricted for two years (due to the COVID-19 pandemic)Jakarta (ANTARA) - The free exodus trip programmes organized by the government, private institutions, and police for this year's Eid al-Fitr aim to lessen traffic congestion at main exodus routes, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo stated.
"This year, travelers participating in the Eid exodus are predicted to jump significantly after the exodus was restricted for two years (due to the COVID-19 pandemic)," Prabowo noted while officiating the embarkation of travelers participating in the free exodus trip programme organized by the Police at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium's east parking lot here on Friday.
The police chief highlighted that according to the Ministry of Transportation, some 82 million residents are forecast to return to their hometowns this year, and of that figure, some 24 million are aboard private cars, while 17 million are travelling with motorcycles.
Under the police's free Eid exodus trip programme, 220 buses carrying a total of 11,300 travelers departed for several destinations in West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java, he remarked.
"(Our free Eid exodus trip programme) has just released the third batch of departure following the first and second departure earlier embarked on Monday and Tuesday. Most participants, who joined the free trip, are market merchants, barbers, state employees, students, factory workers, and others," Prabowo noted.
He stated that the free exodus trip program, apart from facilitating residents returning to their hometowns, is also aimed at reducing the exodus travel with private cars and motorcycles.
The police chief then urged residents to utilize other modes of public transportation, such as railway and sea transport, instead of private vehicles, to reduce traffic congestion.
Travelers are required to take the COVID-19 booster vaccine before departure and adhere to health protocols while travelling, Prabowo stated while adding that those measures are necessary to ensure no surge in COVID-19 cases after the Eid al-Fitr holiday period ends.
"Our positivity rate is now at 0.58 points, and our daily positive cases are in the 300-600 range. We must maintain (our COVID-19 level) at this rate. We must travel safely and be healthy to ensure that the number of COVID-19 cases will remain under control after the Eid period ends," he remarked.
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Translator: Laily Rahmawaty, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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