"I also call on ministries, government agencies, and private companies to actively provide free travel or free homecoming (transportation) to employees and the general public," he said in Jakarta on Monday.
Effendy previously said that around 107 million people are expected to travel during the holiday seasons.
According to him, providing travel facilities or free homecoming transportation services can ease the burden on the community and reduce the risk of traffic accidents.
He said that the government must ensure that people can carry out their worship activities peacefully and enjoy the Christmas and New Year holidays safely and comfortably.
To this end, good preparation involving all policymakers is deemed necessary.
"The 2023 Christmas and 2024 New Year holidays will coincide with school holidays and the 2024 (General Elections) campaign period, so we also have to prepare as well as possible," he said.
So far, only the Ministry of Transportation has announced free travel services for people living in the Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) areas. About 3,600 people are expected to take part in the program.
The minister appealed to people planning to travel during the holiday season to stay up to date with information regarding the weather, traffic congestion, and areas prone to natural disasters.
"Thus, we will spread information from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to help travelers anticipate potential risks along their routes," he said.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Anton Santoso
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