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Jakartans have MRT, empty roads to enjoy during Idul Fitri holiday
“The Idul Fitri celebration [in Jakarta] is my favorite time of the year. The roads are empty, our pockets are full of money and everyone is happy. What’s not to like?” one resident, Ahmad Wildan, said jokingly, referring to the tradition of adults distributing money to children or the poor during the holiday.
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A vehicle passes a mostly empty and wet Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta on Jan. 1. (The Jakarta Post/Iqbal Yuwansyah)
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span id="docs-internal-guid-8063b3b0-7fff-dd31-b68c-1c9708afe1c6">The newly launched MRT and empty roads are two of the things Jakarta offers those who don’t go on the Idul Fitri exodus that started last week.
“The Idul Fitri celebration [in Jakarta] is my favorite time of the year. The roads are empty, our pockets are full of money and everyone is happy. What’s not to like?” one resident, Ahmad Wildan, said jokingly, referring to the tradition of adults distributing money to children or the poor during the holiday.
As the holiday season approaches and people have started leaving Jakarta and heading to their home towns to celebrate Idul Fitri with their families, many others seem to be comfortable enjoying the holiday in the capital. The holiday is expected to fall on June 5.
Born in East Java, Lilis Setyaningsih was raised as a Jakartan since her parents moved to the city when she was a baby. As her parents grew old and she started her own family, she no longer included going back to East Java in her Idul Fitri holiday plans.
“I will spend the first and second Idul Fitri day gathering with my big family at my mother’s house. On the third and fourth day, we will go outside and enjoy the empty city,” she said on Wednesday.
The Transportation Ministry estimated that there will be 22.8 million people traveling to their hometown with 14.9 million people from the Greater Jakarta alone.
Following the exodus, people like Lilis who choose to stay in the city are able to enjoy the luxury of traffic-free streets.
