People think toll roads ease travelers because of the smoothness, comfort, security, and safety (factor).
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Ever since it opened in 2019, the Trans-Java Toll Road has remained a favorite among Eid Al-Fitr exodus travelers, an observer with the Indonesian Transportation Community (MTI) Djoko Setijowarno has informed.

"People think toll roads ease travelers because of the smoothness, comfort, security, and safety (factor),” he said here on Thursday.

He predicted that the Trans-Java Toll Road will still be the main choice of travelers during this year's Eid exodus season.

The Trans-Java Toll Road is projected to be traversed by around 9.2 million people during this year's Eid holiday period, based on a survey conducted by the Transportation Ministry's policy agency.

Setijowarno said that the projected increase in public movement during the exodus period this year can be attributed to the lifting of public activities restrictions (PPKM).

He estimated that the most popular destination during the 2023 Eid al-Fitr exodus flow will be Central Java, with 26.45 percent of travelers opting for it. Meanwhile, private cars will dominate the transportation mode with 27.32 million people (22.07 percent) using them, followed by motorcycles, which are estimated to be used by 25.13 million people (20.30 percent).

Setijowarno advised the public to pick alternative routes to avoid traffic.

According to him, journeys via toll roads or freeways are not always smooth so people can consider using arterial roads such as the northern coast (Pantura) way or the Southern Beach (Pansela).

"In the 2022 exodus flow, the Pantura arterial road was relatively smoother than toll roads," he noted.

Some other alternatives include the Cisumdawu Toll Road (Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuhan), which can reduce traffic volume on Cipali Toll Road (Cikopo-Palimanan) and Cipularang Toll Road (Cikampek-Purwakarta-Padalarang) for vehicles from Bandung headed to Central Java, East Java, and Yogyakarta, he said.

Meanwhile, rest areas on toll roads are often full and cause congestion so it is necessary to prepare more rest areas, he added.

He said there is a need to add more women's toilets than men's in rest areas.

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Translator: Lia S, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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