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Jakarta streets empty as millions leave in Idul Fitri exodus
Thoroughfares in Central Jakarta, West Jakarta and South Jakarta were mostly empty on Tuesday morning, with few vehicles seen driving through.
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Jl. DI Pandjaitan in East Jakarta, which is usually busy with traffic, was mostly empty on June 4 because of an Idul Fitri exodus that saw millions of residents leave for their hometowns. (kompas.com/Cynthia Lova)
The streets of Jakarta have mostly been empty this week, with millions leaving the capital to travel home for the holidays.
Few vehicles were seen on thoroughfares in Central Jakarta, West Jakarta and South Jakarta on Tuesday, one day before Idul Fitri.
The Transportation Ministry earlier estimated that 14.9 million residents of Greater Jakarta, equal to 44.1 percent of the region's total population, left for their hometowns in the exodus.
State-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) estimated it accommodated nearly 1 million passengers.
Spokeswoman of PT KAI operational region (DAOP) 1 Jakarta, Eva Chairunisa, said the company recorded that at least 997,000 passengers had departed from the capital, mostly from Pasar Senen Station in Central Jakarta. The number is a 9 percent increase from last year.
“Throughout five days prior to Idul Fitri, the average number of passengers departing from Pasar Senen Station per day is between 25,000 and 27,000,” she said as reported by kompas.com.
Meanwhile, state-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga said around 430,000 vehicles entered the Cikampek Utama tollgate in Cikarang, Bekasi, heading eastward, from May 29 to June 1.
"The number of vehicles passing through the Cikampek Utama tollgate on Monday was 67,572," Irra Susiyanti, the company's head of corporate communications, said in a statement.
The number, she said, was three times higher than that of normal days, which is about 23,000. The exodus peak on the toll road, Irra said, was on Saturday, when more than 87,000 vehicles were estimated to have used the roadway. (das)
