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arge and heavy vehicles will be prohibited from using Java'€™s northern coastal area (Pantura) highway for 10 days during the upcoming Idul Fitri holidays to reduce traffic congestion along one of the island'€™s most crowded routes.

Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan decided to lengthen the ban from eight days last year in order to give more space for the homeward bound travelers.

The ministry'€™s director general for land transportation, Djoko Sasono, said on Monday that the decision was taken based on the recommendation from the National Police to ease the traffic during the holiday.

'€œJava has the main concentration of traffic during the Idul Fitri holidays and this decision was made based on the recommendation from the National Police,'€ Djoko said.

'€œWe recommend that business owners immediately prepare stocks and warehouses ahead of the holiday, to ensure that the supply chain remain normal during the ban.'€

However, trucks carrying fuel, staple foods, cattle and fresh milk will still be allowed to cross the Pantura highway during the closure that will take effect on July 12 and last until July 21, he said.

Indonesia Truck Owners Association (Apterindo) chairman Gemilang Tarigan said that the longer prohibition would reduce truck owners'€™ productivity during the holiday.

'€œWith an additional number of days off, it potentially increases the price of goods especially during the holiday when the demand is also increasing,'€ Gemilang said.

The Transportation Ministry estimates the number of homeward bound travelers using public transportation, including air carriers, sea transportation, road transportation and also trains, will reach around 20 million people during this year'€™s Idul Fitri, a 2 percent increase from 17.4 million people recorded last year.

The number of travelers using private cars and motorcycles along Pantura is estimated to reach 4.2 million this year, up 7.5 percent from last year.

In a bid to help smooth out the flow of the annual exodus, the Transportation Ministry will also provide free transportation for motorcyclists to lessen the number of motorcycle accidents. Online registration has been opened since June 1 and will continue until June 30, with destinations including, Surakarta, Yogyakarta and
Surabaya.

The ministry is set to open Idul Fitri holiday transportation information points starting from July 2 to 27 to help travelers get up-to-date information, including information on traffic and accidents.

Meanwhile, repairs on Pantura are 97 percent complete and will be fully complete before the fasting month begins in mid-June, according to Public Works and Public Housing Ministry'€™s Bina Marga road agency Adriananda.

Three toll road projects across Java will also be ready to cater to homeward bound travelers during the Idul Fitri holidays in mid-July '€” including the Cikampek-Palimanan road (West Java), the first and second section of the Pejagan-Pemalang road (Central Java) and the Gempol-Pandaan road (East Java) '€” he added.