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Fewer road accidents this year with motorcycles the biggest contributor
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Indonesia Toll Road Regulatory Agency (BPJT) head Herry Trisaputra Zuna (left), National Polic Traffic Corps Chief Brig. Gen. Agung Budi Maryoto (center), and Transportation Ministry's Land Transportation General Director Pudji Hartanto Iskandar (right) give press statements in National Police Traffic Corps Jakarta, on July 5, 2016. (thejakartapost.com/Anton Hermansyah)
T
he number of road accidents during the current Idul Fitri homecoming (mudik) tradition has fallen this year to 856 from 1,022 cases in 2015, with motorcycles still contributing the most with more than half the number. The total fatalities of 172 this year is down by about 25 percent, according to National Police records.
"We appeal to motorcyclists to avoid traveling in the night and limit riding time to no more than five hours each day," Traffic Corps chief Brig. Gen. Agung Budi Maryoto said on Tuesday in Jakarta.
It is not uncommon to find motorcycles carrying a family of three or four among the hordes of motorcycles joining the Idul Fitri exodus of people from big cities to rural areas to celebrate Idul Fitri, which marks the end of the Ramadhan fasting month. The exodus began last weekend. Beginning this weekend, the transportation authorities have to deal with the massive flow of people returning to the big cities.
Separately, the Transportation Ministry's Land Transportation director general Pudji Hartanto Iskandar has ordered his officers supervising the traffic flow of mudik to stop motorcyclists who keep riding in the night.
"We will urge them to enter the rest area to get some sleep. Currently, we can only ask them not to ride in the night. But if the number of motorcycle accidents keeps growing, we will have to force them to take a rest," he said.
Sleepy bus drivers are the next biggest contributors to road accidents, according to statistics. The ministry has mandated that all bus drivers undergo health checks at bus terminals before setting on their journey. (ags)
