When tens of millions of people travel at the same time to their respective hometowns for Idul Fitri celebrations, bumpy roads, brutal traffic jams, or even a tired driver can easily turn joy into disaster.

This year, however, the government’s coordinated efforts to safeguard the country’s biggest exodus season helped travelers enjoy relatively safer and more comfortable trips than last year.

Official data shows that nearly 1,500 traffic accidents occured between June 19 and June 28, a 14.7 percent drop compared to the figure recorded in the same 10-day period during last year’s Idul Fitri holiday season.

Although the number of fatalities increased slightly from 330 to 334, it still represents a safer enviroment when considered against the 7.5 percent year-on-year increase in the number of travelers, which is estimated to hit 27.8 million by the end of the exodus season.

This year’s Idul Fitri fell on June 25. The exodus season typically stretches from a week before the holiday to a week after.

The relatively smooth flow of travelers has been largely attributed to the government’s efforts to improve road infrastructure, on which most holidaymakers travel.

The location worst affected by traffic congestion last year, the East Brebes toll gate exit, colloquially known as ‘Brexit,’ was, for example, accounted for by the establishment of several supporting facilities, such as emergency roads.

Last year, at least a dozen passengers died owing to severe fatigue after travelling along the toll road, the main road from West Java to Central Java, and vice versa.

The government, through the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, also completed the development of overpasses in areas such as Dermoleng and Kretek in Brebes and Kesambi and Klonengan in Tegal, which are built above railway crossings identified as major causes of traffic congestion in Central Java during last year’s exodus.

“I experienced the worst congestion at Brebes toll gate exit last year, but it is much better now. It only took about four hours to drive from my house in Cibubur [East Jakarta] to Tegal,” Fajar Purnomo Adi, a 23-year-old private sector employee, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday, referring to his hometown, which is located some 280 kilometers east of the country’s capital.

Those travelling via airplane also enjoyed highly reliable services from airlines and airport operators.

State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II president director Muhammad Awaluddin said the on-time performance ratio at its airports stood at an average of above 90 percent despite over 1,000 extra flights being run by airlines during the exodus season.

“The on-time performance ratio at [Jakarta’s] Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, for example, was 93 percent,” he said, referring to the country’s busiest airport.

Data from the Transportation Ministry shows that from June 15 to 28, the total number of airplane passengers reached 3.8 million, a 10 percent increase from last year’s figure. Train passengers, meanwhile, followed in second place with 3.4 million, up 5 percent compared to last year.

The National Police also attributed the relatively smooth flow of passengers to the nine-day “collective holiday” designated by the government, which allowed travelers to hit the roads earlier.

Earlier on Wednesday, Transportation Ministry secretary general Sugihardjo said the government was not only focused on improving transportation infrastructure, but also on maintaining safety.

The ministry, for example, facilitated health tests for bus drivers at several bus terminals to evaluate whether they were healthy enough to work during the exodus period.

“During the tests, we found many drivers had high blood pressure. Thus, we asked them to have a proper rest before heading back out onto the roads,” he said. (rdi)

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