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Odd-even traffic policy for annual exodus to be decided before Ramadhan
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Drivers slow down their vehicles while passing the 16-kilometer point of the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road in Bekasi, West Java, on July 1, 2016. (Antara/Risky Andrianto)
T
he Transportation Ministry will make a decision before the start of Ramadhan on whether it will enforce an odd-even traffic management policy along the Trans Java toll road to ease traffic congestion before and after the Idul Fitri celebration.
"We should have a decision on the matter at least 10 days before the fasting month," Transportation Ministry secretary general Sugihardjo said in Jakarta on Friday.
The sooner the decision is made, the better, he added, as it would allow the government to disseminate the policy to travelers ahead of the holiday’s peak period.
The Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s second largest Islamic organization, has declared May 27 as the start of this year’s fasting month. The government has delayed making its decision on the matter, pending the appearance of the new moon next month, which will be monitored in a number of regions.
Under the Transportation Ministry’s road management policy for Idul Fitri, vehicles with odd license plate numbers will be allowed to travel along the toll road on odd dates, while even plate numbers can pass on even dates.
Sugihardjo said the policy might be passed as a ministerial decree.
The odd-even traffic management scheme is currently enforced along Jakarta’s main thoroughfare, Jl. M.H. Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman.
Last year, millions of Idul Fitri travelers leaving Jakarta to various cities in Central and East Java spent more time on the road because of heavy congestion. (bbn)
