The country is set for a nine-day “collective holiday” as Idul Fitri celebrations on Sunday and Monday will see some 19 million people travel to their hometowns, creating a subdued atmosphere in big cities such as Jakarta.

As workers in the capital started hitting the road on Tuesday, resulting in gridlock in several cities in West Java, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has assured the public that celebrations will be merrier this year.

Amid indications that his popularity has started to wane as an impact of the sectarian and racially charged Jakarta gubernatorial election in April, Jokowi appeared in a press conference on Thursday promising the good stuff to come.

First, the President declared a nine-day holiday for the celebration, despite protests from businesses that argued the policy would reduce productivity, as Indonesia already had the highest number of public holidays in the region.

The President went on to announce there would not be an increase in non-subsidized fuel and gas prices following discussion to raise the prices in line with the movement in global oil prices.

“I have assured there will not be an increase in fuel and gas prices in July,” Jokowi said after a Cabinet meeting.

Jokowi also noted the government’s success in stabilizing food prices during Ramadhan -- an effort that has helped maintain the public’s purchasing power and kept many households happy.

However, he expressed disappointment over the delay in the distribution of subsidized rice for underprivileged people.

“I have ordered this to be immediately resolved,” he said. “This is an important program. The delay should have been reported [to me] earlier so that the public would not bear the impact.”

Jokowi’s attempts at keeping key commodity prices low come as Idul Fitri falls during school holidays and the start of the school year, when parents will have to spend more for educational purposes.

Aside from the price issues, the President also noted the importance of smooth homebound travel by instructing relevant ministries and agencies to cooperate and coordinate.

“I want the government’s handling of homebound travelers to be integrated between the police, the Transportation Ministry, the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and state firms. They have to cooperate and avoid sectoral ego.”

Idul Fitri marks the end of Ramadhan, and is the biggest holiday and celebration in the nation with the world’s biggest Muslim population.

The government expects to see 19 million people use public transportation in this year’s annual exodus, a 4.8 percent surge from 18.1 million passengers a year ago.

Some 13 million people are estimated to travel by bus, car and motorbike. The Transportation Ministry predicts the roads will see 3.48 million cars and 6.07 million motorbikes during the nine-day holiday, up 13.7 percent and 17 percent, respectively.

Last year, severe congestion occurred at the East Brebes toll exit gate, colloquially known as “Brexit”, where road users were trapped in traffic for nearly two days.

At least a dozen passengers died owing to severe fatigue after traveling through the toll section, the main road access from West Java to Central Java, and vice versa.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan assured measures had been taken to prevent similar “Brexit” incidents from occurring, as relevant ministers had scrambled to improve public services.

“We have prepared to the best of our ability, but all efforts will not yield maximum results if road users are not cooperative,” Luhut said.

The government has prepared 3,826 health centers at all exodus routes that will be open 24 hours, including at the East Brebes exit gate, to anticipate any emergencies. Helicopters are also on standby.

“We have also prepared both four-wheel and two-wheel ambulances. Considering what happened at Brexit last year, it’s impossible to deploy four-wheeled vehicles in an emergency situation,” Health Minister Nila Moeloek said.

The Communications and Information Ministry, in collaboration with relevant ministries and state agencies, have also launched the Ayo Mudik (Let’s Travel Home) app to provide travelers with information on the nearest public safety center, ATM, police post, gas station and real-time traffic.

Nearing Idul Fitri, which is expected to fall on Sunday, roads and airports across the country have seen an increased flow of passengers each day.

On the Nagreg ring road in West Java, notorious for being a gridlock hot spot that connects Bandung with Tasikmalaya, Garut and Central Java, authorities have enforced since Wednesday a daily one hour, one-way traffic policy to ease traffic, Limbangan Police chief Comr. Asep Suherli said.

Police estimate exodus travel to peak on Saturday, with all personnel set to be on standby to prevent major gridlock.

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Farida Susanty, Rizal Harahap, Arya Dipa, Ganug Nugroho Adi, Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Suherdjoko, Eva Aruperes and Djemi Amnifu also contributed to this article.

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