For motorcycles, we have recorded around 3,470 traffic accidents. It`s because the number of home-bound travelers using motorcycles is quite high this year,"Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Millions of Idul Fitri travelers hit the roads again in a reverse Idul Fitri exodus which peaked on Saturday and Sunday (September 3 and 4), after celebrating the Muslim festivity with relatives in their hometowns.
The post-fasting Idul Fitri or Lebaran in Indonesia, the world`s largest Muslim majority country, fell on August 31 (or August 30 for some others).
The government announced that the national holidays and joint leave period were from August 29 to September 3, 2011. to give Muslims a chance to carry out their annual tradition of "Mudik" or making home-bound trips to spend the Idul Fitri holidays with their families and friends in their hometowns throughout Indonesia.
The number of this year`s Idul Fitri travelers taking buses, trains, ships, airplanes, private cars and motorcycles, is estimated to have reached 15.5 million, or an increase of 4.17 percent from last year`s 14.9 million.
The National Police Headquarters recorded 4,869 traffic accidents during the Idul Fitri exodus until the reverse trips on September 3, 2011, Metrotvnews.com reported on Sunday (Sept. 4).
Adjunct Senior Commissioner Wisnu Buddhayana, the Group A head of the National Police Headquarters`s Operation Ketupat , said 633 people were killed, 1,068 people sustained serious injuries and 2,650 others light injuries in the traffic accidents throughout the country.
Most of the road accidents involved motorcycles, followed by private cars and freight cars.
"For motorcycles, we have recorded around 3,470 traffic accidents. It`s because the number of home-bound travelers using motorcycles is quite high this year," Wisnu told Metrotvnews.com.
According to him, about 818 traffic accidents were caused by sleepy drivers, and the rest was due to among other things bad weather, engine problems , and drunkenness.
During the Idul Fitri 2010, there had been 2,246 traffic accidents claiming 539 lives, 660 people were seriously and 1,283 others lightly injured from Day-7 to Day+7 of Idul Fitri.
The Idul Fitri 2011 traffic accidents has caused material losses estimated at around Rp10.8 billion, significantly up from Rp6 billion of last year`s material losses.
The number of this year`s traffic accidents, which drastically increases from the previous year`s, has prompted the Police to evaluate the traffic arrangement system for Idul Fitri exodus.
National Police Chief General Timur Pradopo said in Bengkalan, Madura Island, East Java Province, on Saturday (Sept 3), the National Police would make an evaluation of the travel safety system for the Idul Fitri 1432 Hijriah this year.
"We will conduct an evaluation after the Idul Fitri holiday is over so that next year`s travels can be organized in a better way and the number of accidents can be reduced maximally," the general said when inspecting the Idul Fitri exodus safety system in Suramadu bridge connecting Surabaya and Madura Island.
On the whole, the flows of traffic during the Idul Fitri holiday this year have been smooth but the number of accidents are on a rising trend.
Under code named "Operation Ketupat", which is to last from August 22 to September 6, 2011, a total of 96,393 police personnel have been deployed to ensure public safety and enjoyable trips during the Muslim holiday exodus.
The police personnel consist of 769 officers from the National Police Headquarters and 95,624 officers from the regional police offices.
Last year, police deployed 89,521 personnel in Operation Ketupat and set up 2,592 security posts across the country.
A number of integrated security command posts have also been set up throughout Java to secure all roads on the island during the Muslim festivity 2011.
"The setting up of the command posts was part of the government efforts to provide good services to the people celebrating Idul Fitri in their hometowns," Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi said in Solo, Central Java, last July.
Higher number of traffic accidents was also reported in some regions.
In Central Java, 29 people were killed in a number of traffic accidents in the past week, police said.
The number was bigger than it was in the same period last year which was recorded at 23, the Central Java police spokesman, Senior Commissioner Djihartono, said in Semarang last Friday (Sept 2).
He said the number could still increase as he had just received data until three days after the Idul Fitri that fell on August 31.
Some 63 people had been seriously wounded and 413 others lightly wounded in traffic accidents across the region compared to 42 who were seriously and.93 lightly injured in traffic accidents in the same period last year.
He said the total number accidents in Central Java in the past week reached 327.
"The number of victims in traffic accidents in the same period last year was recorded at only 110, including dead victims," he said.
In view of the increasing number of victims of traffic accidents in , he said, the police would carry out an evaluation along with other agencies concerned.
He appealed to all people who would return from their holidays in their hometowns or villages to be careful and abey all traffic rules.
"Motorists who feel tired should just take a rest in places already made available," he said.
In North Sumatra, a total of 139 traffic accidents were recorded from August 23 to September 1, 2011, that claimed at least 58 lives.
"It`s based on monitoring during Operation Ketupat Toba 2011," Adjunct Senor Commissioner Mp Nainggolan of the North Sumatra Police said in Medan on Friday (Sept 2).
The traffic accidents also caused 96 people to be seriously injured and 169 others lightly wounded, and material losses estimated at more than Rp353 million, he said.
During Operation Ketupat Toba 2011, the police also recorded a total of 4,549 traffic law violations, and ticketed 1,960 violators.
The North Sumatra Police have mobilized 2,719 personnel and set up 106 security posts during the Idul Fitri holidays. The provincial police have also set up 35 public service posts involving paramedics to help home-bound travelers.
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(T.F001/A/F001/O001) 05-09-2011 15:28:43
Reporter: Fardah
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
