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View all search results'Mudik' chaos strikes again
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Vehicles are seen stuck in traffic on Tuesday on the toll road heading out of Jakarta at the Cikampek Utama toll booth in Cikampek, West Java, as people headed to their hometowns for the Idul Fitri holiday, which marks the end of Ramadan. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
H
eavy congestion and traffic accidents have again marked the annual Idul Fitri travel season this year, despite extensive preparations by the government to manage the surge in travelers making homebound trips.
Around 143.9 million people, about half of the Indonesian population, were projected to travel with their families between March 11 and 23 to their hometowns for the Idul Fitri holiday that marks the end of the Ramadan holy month.
The homebound exodus (mudik) has sparked extreme congestion in some parts of the country, especially in Java where the top four destinations are located: Central Java, East Java, West Java and Yogyakarta.
Among the most extreme congestion was seen at Bali’s Gilimanuk ferry port between March 15 and 20, with vehicles destined for Java lining up for up to 40 kilometers to reach the crossing, forcing many travelers to wait up to 24 hours to cross the strait, with some even spending the night inside their cars.
The congestion at Gilimanuk has resulted in at least 17 holidaymakers collapsing, and one reported dead from heat exhaustion.
Frustrated holiday travelers, who were stuck for hours in Ketapang port in East Java seeking to cross to Gilimanuk, also vented their anger by honking their horns relentlessly when Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi inspected the heavily congested ports on March 17.
Read also: Holiday rush sparks 36-km traffic jam at Bali’s Gilimanuk Port
