TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Heavy traffic in Java as ‘mudik’ return flow peaks
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Motorists sit stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on April 5, 2024, at kilometer 150 of the Cikopo-Palimanan (Cipali) toll road in Mekarjaya, West Java. (Antara/Aprillio Akbar)
K
ey parts of Java’s toll road system have been heavily congested over the past few days as authorities seek to manage the peak of return Idul Fitri mudik (exodus) travel.
The congestion took hold on Sunday evening as holidaymakers returned to major cities from celebrations in their hometowns, and authorities expected Monday evening to be the busiest travel period.
This year, the government extended the official leave period for Idul Fitri to 10 days, ending on Monday, in an effort to stagger departures to prevent severe congestion on toll roads, a common sight during mudik season.
According to data from state-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga, over 960,000 vehicles headed back into Greater Jakarta from last Wednesday to Sunday. The National Police reported more than 180,000 vehicles entering Greater Jakarta on Sunday alone.
But with some 300,000 vehicles yet to make their return trip as of Sunday, authorities were reinstating one-way traffic and counterflow lanes to mitigate congestion.
Jasa Marga estimated that more than 100,000 vehicles would enter the Kalihurip Utama toll gate from West Java alone on Monday.
Long pile-up
