Speaking at the FMB9 discussion on safe travel during Eid al-Fitr, which took place on Monday (April 10), the police corps' Director for Security and Safety, Brigadier General of Police Ery Nursatari, stated that residents returning by motorcycle remain a major issue since some 70 percent of traffic accidents involve motorcycles.
"The fatality rate of traffic accidents is highest among those on motorcycles," he stated.
Despite being prohibited, several residents still insist on returning home by motorcycle, Nursatari remarked, adding that most of them are of the view that motorbikes allow them to move freely in their hometowns.
To reduce motorcycle travel during the Eid exodus, various parties have offered free Eid travel to residents, wherein they can bring along their motorcycles, with special carriages being offered for motorcycles provided by the railway company for bike owners, who opted to use rail transport to return home.
"We always remind and educate residents seeking to use motorcycles (for the Eid exodus). We prohibit its use because it is very dangerous," Nursatari remarked.
However, if some other residents insist on traveling to their hometowns by motorcycle, he affirmed that the police is ready to monitor the bikers' safety, particularly on main routes of motorcycle travel, such as Java's Southern Coast Road.
"If they persist despite the prohibition, we will assist several large batches of motorcycles. We will prepare some escorts from several points. We will be ready," Nursatari stated.
Bikers are expected to drive more safely under the police escort, he stated, while adding that the police have estimated motorbike travels to ensure prompt escort once a large movement is detected.
"We always remind them to maintain their safety and regulate their speed while traveling to their intended destination," Nursatari remarked.
Earlier, the transportation minister estimated that some 123.8 million residents would return to their hometowns during this year's Eid exodus period, and 25.13 million travelers, equal to 20.3 percent, were expected to use motorbikes during their travel.
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Translator: Laily Rahmawaty, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Anton Santoso
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