Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Transportation reported that as many as 107 million people are projected to travel for leisure or homecoming during the Christmas and New Year period.

"Those, who will travel, account for 39 percent of the (total population) or higher than last year, so this is quite challenging," Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi stated at the opening of the Christmas and New Year Transportation Center Post here on Tuesday.

Sumadi noted that according to the survey conducted by the ministry, 40 thousand people will travel in private cars due to the practical aspect of easier mobility and the availability of good road infrastructure, such as toll roads.

Meanwhile, 17 percent of the survey respondents will travel on motorcycles.

The transportation minister appealed to travelers to use free homecoming programs provided by State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) and the private sector to reduce the number of accidents.

"I have issued a letter, and hopefully, the letter will be endorsed by the media, and the people can use the free homecoming program to travel," he stated.

Furthermore, the survey recorded that as many as 13 percent of the travelers will travel by train, 11 percent via planes, 10 percent by buses, six percent aboard ferry ships, and three percent by passenger ships.

Sumadi drew attention to challenges and obstacles in all transportation sectors for which requisite precautionary measures should be taken.

He urged to establish monitoring posts for all modes of transportation, so that public mobilization or movement can be monitored directly.

The peak of the Christmas and New Year transportation flow is forecast to occur on December 25, 2023, and January 1, 2024.

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Translator: Kuntum R, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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