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Govt mulls canceling Idul Fitri ‘mudik’
The Transportation Ministry is mulling over whether to limit or even ban this year’s Idul Fitri mudik (exodus)
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The Transportation Ministry is mulling over whether to limit or even ban this year’s Idul Fitri mudik (exodus).
“We are avoiding mass public gatherings. Unfortunately, the tradition of mudik will cause such gatherings to happen in several places across the country,” ministry spokesperson Adita Irawati said during a video conference with journalists on Friday.
“However, we haven’t reached any decisions regarding the exodus.”
She said the ministry had formed a small team to discuss the issue. A report on the outcome of the discussions will be sent to Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan approximately next week.
In addition to his duties as minister, Luhut has also served as interim transportation minister since State Secretary Pratikno announced last week that Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi tested positive for
COVID-19.
Adita said the decision regarding the exodus might be made during a meeting on preventive measures. “There might be some uncommon policy.”
The ministry’s team will also make a decision on the free mudik trips that were promised for those who registered for them.
Scientists from the Indonesian Young Scientist Forum previously called on the government to cancel the exodus this year, saying it would increase the risk of a wider outbreak nationwide. They argued that homebound travelers would carry the virus across the nation.
Former vice president Jusuf Kalla similarly called on the government to “order the people not to return to their hometowns during Ramadan”, according to tempo.co.
Ramadan is expected to begin on April 23, while Idul Fitri, which marks the end of the fasting month, is expected to fall on May 23.
Over 1.22 million cars left the capital in the week leading up to Idul Fitri in 2019, according to state-owned toll road operator Jasa Marga.
Jasa Marga said a total of 1.22 million vehicles left Jakarta and headed east, west and south between May 29 and June 4 last year. It was a 26 percent increase from the normal daily traffic average of 963,065 vehicles.
The company said that 57 percent of the vehicles went east, 25 percent went west and 18 percent south.
The Cikampek toll gate was the busiest for vehicles going to West, Central and East Java.
The main Cikampek toll road (was used by) 477,280 vehicles, a 194.49 percent increase from the normal daily traffic average of 162,071 vehicles, the company stated.
It added that the total volume of exodus traffic had met 94 percent of the company’s prediction of 1.29 million cars.
Last week, the government and public transportation companies launched online booking systems for purchasing bus and ferry tickets for the upcoming Idul Fitri holiday in May.
The Transportation Ministry has developed the Dipass (Digital Passengers) online booking platform for desktop and mobile, specially for buying bus tickets from multiple bus operators offering a variety of scheduled routes to many destinations across the country.
The Dipass mobile app is available on the Google Play Store for Android phones.
“As many as 37 bus companies have already joined the app, with 4,000 buses available for passengers. Bus operators that do not have an e-ticketing system are not on the system yet, [but] we will facilitate them,” the ministry’s road transportation director, Ahmad Yani, said during the launch of the application on March 13.
The bus companies offering routes on the Dipass platform include Rosalia Indah, Eka Lorena and Sinar Jaya.
Ahmad said that passengers could use Dipass as their regular bus booking service, from selecting routes and times to seats and preferred payment method.
The ministry is requiring all bus companies operating out of type A bus terminals, or hub terminals, to join the booking service.
Ahmad said that if bus operators did not join the Dipass e-ticketing service, they would face difficulties entering bus terminals and their time tables would not be updated on the terminal's information system.
Meanwhile, ASDP Indonesia Ferry has also launched an e-ticketing platform for desktop and mobile called Ferizy, an acronym derived from "ferry" and "easy".
Launched on March 2, Ferizy offers ferry trips departing from three major ports in Indonesia — Merak in Banten, Bakauheni in Lampung and Ketapang in Banyuwangi — as well as Gilimanuk ferry port in Bali, said Ira Puspadewi, the president director of the state-owned ferry operator.
“Hopefully by May 1, all our customers can use the online ticketing service. Meanwhile, for passengers who prefer buying their tickets via Go Show, we provide ticket vending machines [at the port], but it could take longer,” Ira said.
Ira said that purchasing ferry tickets online had more advantages, from better convenience to more flexibility in choosing trips, schedules and collection methods. Passengers also did not need to stand in a queue.
Ira added that the ferry e-ticketing system would be introduced in stages, with the final goal of installing the system at all 35 ASDP-managed ports by 2021. (roi/trn)
