We have been advising motorists to plan their trip because heavy traffic is still expected."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Lengthy delays are expected on the highways across the islands of Sumatra and Java during the next couple of days, as thousands of people will head back after the 2014 Idul Fitri festive season.
Heavy traffic will be inevitable along the Trans-Sumatra highway in Sumatra and northern and southern highways of West Java, as motorists will make a long, slow drive.
After celebrating Idul Fitri festivities in their hometowns and villages for a week, thousands of returning holidaymakers on Wednesday have started to flock to ferry ports and bus terminals.
The sharing of joy with family members and relatives at home during the long holiday this year has come to an end, and now the holiday travelers must return to the cities and towns where they work.
West Java police spokesman Senior Commissioner Martinus Sitompul said in Bandung on Wednesday that the flow of returning holiday travelers along the northern and southern highways was estimated to peak on Sunday.
"A large contingent of police will be seen throughout the roads, enforcing speed tolerance and regulating traffic as the flow of holiday travelers will be high on Friday to reach a peak on Sunday," Sitompul said.
He remarked that the flow of traffic from the east to the west of Jakarta and numerous cities in West Java started on Wednesday and will continue to increase until Sunday.
"We anticipate that the movement of traffic will not pile up in one area, and so we have done our best to regulate it optimally," Sitompul said, adding that traffic is expected to remain slow for the next couple of days.
Therefore, he has called on the drivers to take extra caution, particularly in the areas where traffic density is inevitable, and also rain has made the roads slippery.
"Drivers should prepare for a slow trip home, keep left, be patient, have plenty of rest, share the driving, be conscious and considerate, because we really want people to arrive safely from their trips," he remarked.
On Wednesday morning, heavy traffic was noted along the southern highway of West Java from Nagreg to Garut and Tasikmalaya, all in West Java.
The slow-moving procession of metal cages was also seen along the road from Cagak Nagreg to Kadungora and Limbangan, although the flow of traffic was smooth till Bandung.
"Heavy traffic could also be seen on the road from Cileunyi to Cicalengka and Rancaekek; and from Nagreg to Leles, Limbangan, and Malangbong," according to Malangbong police spokesman Brigadier Dani Nuroni.
Nuroni remarked that although the traffic was much higher than expected, on Thursday and Friday, larger number of travelers are expected to return, and therefore, the drivers should be well prepared.
"We have been advising motorists to plan their trip because heavy traffic is still expected. Set aside plenty of additional travel time and consider leaving earlier or delaying the trip and coming home later," Nuroni stated.
Meanwhile, Garut police spokesman Inspector Jainuri noted that heavy traffic was also reported along the road between Kadungora and Leles from both directions.
According to him, the traffic density was primarily due to the returning holidaymakers, including those who had been heading to numerous recreation centers in Garut.
"The road between Kadungora and Leles is congested because of the flow of tourists, both homebound and returning," Jainuri added.
Along the Soekarno-Hatta Trans-Sumatra highway to Bandarlampung in Sumatra, a slow procession of cars and motorcycles on Wednesday was reported.
The highway since 8 am on Wednesday has been crowded with motorcycles and cars of returning vacationers, mostly from Pringsewu and Pesawaran, following the 2014 Idul Fitri holidays.
A Bandarlampung resident, Roy Baskara Pratama, said a steady inflow of people was seen at Rajabasa bus terminal here on Wednesday morning.
He remarked that the arriving passengers reportedly came from numerous cities and towns in Sumatra, where they had spent their days off visiting family or relatives.
"They are expected to arrive at Bakauheni Port and on to Merak Port in Banten to return to Tangerang, Jakarta, Bogor, and Bekasi," Pratama said.
Inland waterway services company PT ASDP public relations officer Mario Utomo said the company has deployed 28 roll-on roll-off (roro) ferries to serve the holiday travelers at Merak and Bakauheni ports.
"We have placed 28 ferries on standby to handle the inflow of this years holiday passengers, so that they will not have to stand in long queues before being ferried from Merak to Bakauheni and otherwise," Utomo said.
He remarked that the number of returning travelers is likely to peak on Sunday because civil servants and employees of private companies will commence their work on Monday.
According to him, holiday travelers who had returned to their hometowns in Sumatra started to arrive back at Bakauheni Port on buses, motorcycles, and private cars to be ferried to Merak Port in Banten and on to their respective workplaces in Java.
(Uu.O001/INE/KR-BSR/A014)
Reporter: Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
