Idul Fitri exodus reflects better economy

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has opted to see the bright side of the exodus of Idul Fitri holiday makers this year, which saw more private cars and motorcycles hit the road across the country, mostly in Java.

The president said on Friday the increasing number of private cars and motorcycles reflected improvement in the people’s economy although they added burdens to security officers.

“I know the challenge facing us from year to year is not easy. Everything is unexplainable. Increasing number of vehicles has given an extra burden to the traffic,” the president was quoted by kompas.com during his visit to a police traffic monitoring post in Cikampek, West Java.

“On one hand we are delighted to see more people buy motorcycles due to their increasing purchasing power and better economy.”

About 3.6 million motorcycles and 1.3 million cars traveled across the country in the Idul Fitri exodus.

Yudhoyono said better traffic management to deal with the more crowded roads prior to and after Idul Fitri holidays would be an uphill challenge the government would face.

The president appreciated the National Police, the Indonesian Military and regional governments for doing their jobs to ensure a safe ride for holiday makers.

He said the field officers deserved a leave and incentives in exchange for their hard works.