GOVERNMENT BRACES FOR RETURN FLOW OF EID TRAVELERS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 18 (Antara) - The government has ensured that all institutions are ready to face the return flow of Eid or Lebaran travelers, who have celebrated the post-fasting festivities in their respective hometowns.          It had earlier forecast that this year, over 19.5 million people will return home for reunion with families or friends and to celebrate the festivities after fasting for a month. The government had granted a collective leave or holidays from June 11 to June 20, 2018.          The collective Lebaran holidays will end next Wednesday on June 20, so it is expected that the the return flow of Lebaran travelers will peak in the next two days.          Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi noted that all institutions are ready to face the peak of the return flow of Lebaran travelers that is expected to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday on June 19-20.          "The government has made sound preparations since the start of the return flow of travelers," Minister Sumadi remarked on Monday.    ased on aerial monitoring, the flow of traffic on several toll roads and non-toll roads is relatively smooth. There were a few traffic jams, but they were not significant.

PEAK OF EID TRAVELERS WITNESSED AT MERAK PORT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 14 (Antara) - The peak of Eid Fitr or Lebaran travelers passing from Java to Sumatra through Marak Port was witnessed on Tuesday night and the wee hours on Wednesday (June 14)    The state-owned waterway transportation service (PT ASDP) recorded that from 8 a.m. on Tuesday until 8 a.m. on Wednesday (June 14), a total of 175,803 homecoming travelers had crossed the Sunda Strait from Marak Port in the western tip of Java to Bakauheni harbor in the eastern part of Sumatra.      According to Land Transportation Managing Agency (BPTD) Head for Banten, Johny Siagian, the peak of Lebaran travelers at Merak Port occurred on Tuesday to Wednesday, or three days to two days (H-3 to H-2) before Lebaran festivities.          Indonesian Muslims are scheduled to celebrate the post-fasting Lebaran festivities on Friday and Saturday, pending the official announcement of the government on Thursday evening.         Based on data at the ASDP, out of the 175,803 passengers crossing to Sumatra on Tuesday or Wednesday morning, 32,317 were pedestrian passengers and 140,040 were travelers on vehicles (public and private vehicles).

OVER 653 THOUSAND VEHICLES HAVE LEFT JAKARTA FOR LEBARAN

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 13 (Antara) - The state-owned toll construction firm Jasa Marga has predicted that until Wednesday (June 13), some 652,922 vehicles had left Jakarta for Eid or Lebaran in Java through Cikampek Toll Road since eight days ago.          Jasa Marga predicted that on Wednesday (June 13), two days before Lebaran, some 89,838 vehicles will leave Jakarta through the Cikampek Toll Road, adding the number to 563,083 vehicles that had passed the Cikampek turnpike since Wednesday last week.          Jasa Marga, through its official statement in Jakarta, on Wednesday, predicted that the number of vehicles was 89,838, or up 33.86 percent from the normal traffic volume of 67,121 vehicles.          The Cikampek Toll Road is the main lane for Lebaran travelers willing to celebrate the post-fasting festivities in Java, which hosts some 57 percent of the Indonesian population of over 237.6 million people.          The 563,083 vehicles that had left Jakarta until Tuesday via Toll Gate (GT) Cikarang Utama Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road increased by 39.8 percent from the normal traffic volume of 402,672 vehicles.

SOME SIX MILLION LEBARAN TRAVELERS TO USE MOTORBIKES

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 5 (Antara) - The exodus of post-fasting Eid el-Fitr or Lebaran travelers will begin next week when revelers are going home to celebrate post-Ramadan fasting festivities in their hometowns on June 15-16, 2018.          This year, it is estimated that more than 19.5 million people will return home to have family or friend reunions and to celebrate the festivities after fasting for one month.          Of the 19.5 million Lebaran travelers, some 6.39 million are estimated to use two-wheeled motor vehicles, according to the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI).          Hence, the organization asked travelers, especially those driving motorcycles to pay attention to safety during their journey because motorcyclists are most prone to accident.          In a press conference titled Lebaran 2018 Transportation, he explained, the number of travelers of two-wheeled vehicles is estimated at more than 6.39 million. Two-wheeled vehicles riders during the Lebaran exodus always contribute about 70 percent to the accident rate.          MTI accordingly asked Lebaran travelers using motorcycles to give attention to their safety by arranging time to take rest and limiting passengers and luggage.

GOVT'S PREPARATIONS FOR 'LEBARAN' TRAVELERS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 21 (Antara) - 'Mudik' which means going hometown is the most popular word in Indonesia during the post-fasting Eid el-Fitr or Lebaran festivities.          Most urban dwellers, workers or traders in big cities originate from hometowns where they still have relatives, friends or even family members.          So, mudik to hometowns to have annual reunions with families or friends is a 'must' for them after they have performed fasting rituals during the Ramadan month.          Millions of Lebaran travelers usually pack home-bound public transportation like trains, buses, private cars, motorcycles and even airplanes. Especially on roads, traffic gridlocks are often inevitable in certain sections.          As Java is Indonesia's most crowded island, the government is giving special attention to transportation facilities in Java to serve Lebaran travelers. In order to facilitate home-bound exodus, the government has made adequate preparations to minimize traffic congestion.          Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi said, for the flow of Lebaran travelers in 2018, his side has made adequate preparations and has coordinated with the relevant ministries and security forces.

AIRPORTS LAUDED FOR SUCCESSFUL LEBARAN TRANSPORTATION

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 7 (Antara) - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi and Tourism Minister Arif Yahya have praised and appreciated the performance of airports in Indonesia for their successful services during the post-fasting Eid al-Fitr or Lebaran travelers exodus this year.          Transportation services through all airports under the management of airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II during this year's post-fasting Eid al-Fitr or Lebaran travelers¿ exodus was successful and better than last year.          "In general, airport operations and services during the Lebaran transportation services ran normally in a smooth and comfortable manner," PT Angkasa Pura II President Director, Muhammad Awaluddin, said in a press statement here on Friday.          This year, the increase in the number of passengers and the flight trips was coupled with the improvement in airlines¿ performance.          According to Awaluddin, although there was a significant increase in the number of extra flights, the performance of airlines was something to be proud of as it could be observed from the accuracy of the flight schedule time, which reached 80 percent.

MORE LEBARAN TRAVELERS USING SEA TRANSPORT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 29 (Antara) - The Directorate General of Sea Transportation has continued to monitor the sea transportation services for Eid al-Fitr, or Lebaran travelers, during the current post-fasting month festivities.          In order to make the services at the seaports across the country smooth, Director General of Sea Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation Antonius Tonny Budiono review the flow of travelers at a number of seaports in the country, such as in Surabaya (East Java) and Makassar (South Sulawesi).          The directorate general of sea transportation is now concentrating on the return flow of the Lebaran travelers who have celebrated the festivity in their hometowns. This year, according to the directorate general, the number of Eid travelers using the sea transportation increased by about three percent.         "We predict that the number of passengers increased by three percent this year from that in 2016," Budiono, who is also called Tonny, stated on the sidelines of his review of the Makassar Port Terminal in South Sulawesi on Wednesday night.

LEBARAN TRAVELERS URGED TO RETURN BEFORE JUNE 30

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 27 (Antara) - Homecoming Eid al-Fitr, or Lebaran travelers, who have celebrated the post-fasting festivities in their hometowns across the country, are expected to return before Friday, June 30, as trucks will begin plying from that day.          Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi urged travelers to return to Jakarta, or their places, before or on June 29, or three days after the Eid D-Day (H+3) since on June 30, or (H+4), the restriction on the movement of trucks transporting goods or logistics will be lifted.          "The peak of the reverse flow of travelers is predicted to extend across days. The favorite day is on Saturday, (July 1), and Sunday, (July 2), but I urge that they should go back to Jakarta before or on June 29 (Thursday), as on June 30, trucks will start operating again," the Ministry of Transportation quoted the minister as saying on its website http://www.dephub.go.id, on Monday.          The Ministry of Transportation had earlier forecast that the number of travelers during the Lebaran season this year would reach 19 million, or up 5.5 percent, from 18 million visitors in 2016.

EXODUS OF EID TRAVELERS IN JAVA BEGINS TO PEAK

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 23 (Antara) - Home coming of Eid al-Fitr, or Lebaran travelers, notably those using Trans-Java Toll Roads in Java began to peak Friday, two days (H-2) before the Lebaran D-Day on Sunday.          Tens of thousands of private cars and other vehicles used by travelers poured into both toll and non-toll roads retarding the traffic flow.          The Jakarta-Cikampek section of the Trans-Java Toll road, for example, takes about eight to nine hours to be covered. On normal days, this section can be covered in two to three hours.          Toll road operators earlier predicted that the Lebaran traveler exodus would peak on Friday (June 23) and on Saturday.          The Jakarta-Cipali (Jakarta-Cikampek-Palimanan) toll road section has relatively been packed with vehicles on Friday. "It took me 12 hours to drive my car from Jakarta to Palimanan. I left Jakarta at 2 a.m on Friday and arrived at Palimantan at 2 p.m. I used to cover this route in five or six hours only," said Amrurrahman, who traveled to Cirebon, West Java, to celebrate the post fasting festivities there.          According to National Police Chief General Tito Karnavian, the Eid al-Fitri traveler exodus would peak on Friday (June 23) and Saturday (June 24).

EID REVELERS EXPECTED TO TRAVEL DURING DAY

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 21 (Antara) - Post-fasting Idul Fitri travelers, who want to cross into Bakauheni port in Sumatra from Java's Merak harbor, are expected to conduct the trip during the day to avoid overcrowding of passengers at the ferry port of Merak.          During the Idul Fitri or Lebaran exodus in previous years, travelers usually preferred to make the journey at night to avoid the scorching sun, overcrowding of passengers, and serious congestions at the port.          "We hope travelers would not conduct the trip and cross into Bakauheni during the night in order to ensure that the flow of Lebaran revelers would run smoothly," Land Transportation Director General Pudji Hartanto Iskandar said, while observing the flow of passengers at Merak Port, on Wednesday.            Merak port in the western tip of Java and Bakauheni harbor in the eastern part Sumatra are two main points for travelers seeking to cross the Sunda Strait on their way to Sumatra from Java or to Java from Sumatra.

MERAK PORT TO SEE PEAK OF PASSENGER FLOW ON FRIDAY

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 20 (Antara) - In the face of Idul Fitri Day on Sunday, Merak harbor, one of Indonesia's busiest ferry port, will see the peak of post-fasting Lebaran travelers next Thursday and Friday.          The Merak harbor in the western tip of Java links the island with Bakauheni port in Sumatra. The two harbors will be busy serving Idul Fitri or Lebaran travelers who wish to cross the Sunda Strait to celebrate the festivities in their hometowns.          This year, the Ministry of Transportation has predicted that a total of 19 million people across the country will travel to their hometown to have reunions with friends and family.          Locally called 'pemudik,' Lebaran travelers, who will cross the Sunda Strait to Sumatra, are expected to throng Merak port on Thursday and Friday.          According to Tommy L Kaunang, the general manager of state-owned waterway transportation service PT ASDP, the flow of passengers is expected to start increasing on Tuesday night or H-5 (five days before the D-Day).          Until Tuesday, at 8 a.m. local time, a total of 57,348 passengers had crossed into Bakauheni port of Lampung (eastern tip of Sumatra).

GOVERNMENT READY TO SERVE 19 MILLION LEBARAN TRAVELERS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 19 (Antara) - The government is ready to serve some 19 million people across the country who will be traveling this week to their hometowns to celebrate the post-fasting Eid al-Fitr or Lebaran festivities.          Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi stated that the government has accorded priority to the safety and increased services for travelers during this year's Lebaran exodus, when the number of travelers are expected to increase by 5.5 percent from 18 million last year.          The safety, security, and health of homecoming travelers using land, air, and sea transportation must be ensured, so that this year's Lebaran exodus season would be more comfortable.          "Ensuring the safety, security, and increased services is a must. All this must be followed with high discipline (both by officials in charge and travelers)," Minister Sumadi noted while inspecting the readiness of the Makassar Seaport in South Sulawesi on Saturday (June 17)

LEBARAN THIS YEAR TO OFFER COMFORTABLE TRIPS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 8 (Antara) - With better infrastructures, the government has promised to do its best to provide smoother, safer, and more comfortable trips during post-fasting Eid ul-Fitr or Lebaran travelers' exodus later this month.           Indonesia will once again see the exodus of the devout when a large number of Eid ul-Fitr revelers travel to be with their families and celebrate the Lebaran festivities in their hometowns. Tens of millions of Lebaran travelers across the country will be home-bound, going by air, land or sea.          National Police (Polri) Chief General Tito Karnavian is optimistic that the post-Ramadan fasting month 'Operation Ramadniya 2017,' launched to support the smoothness of travelers' flow, will be able to overcome problems such as those that occurred during the same exodus in 2016.          "After checking in the field preparations for home-bound trip locally called 'mudik,' we are convinced that the flow of Lebaran travelers this year will be smoother and the services will be better," General Karnavian said in Purwakarta, West Java, on Wednesday (June 7).

GOVERNMENT TO ORGANIZE FREE 'MUDIK' PROGRAM 2017

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 21 (Antara) - Millions of people conduct home-bound trip (mudik) to have family reunions in their hometowns during the post-fasting Eid ul-Fitr or Lebaran festivities every year.          During the exodus of mudik  travelers, the number of traffic accidents is high befalling Lebaran revelers, notably those using vehicles prone to accidents such as motorcycles.          Motorcycles is a simple and cost-efficient means of transportation which is why its number continues to increase every year during the Lebaran occasion.           In line with the increasing number of motorists, the government in its efforts to reduce accidents has since in the past several years offered a free ride program for motorcyclists.          In the face of this year's post-fasting Lebaran festivities, -- the fasting month  expected to begin next Saturday -- the government is once again offering a free mudik program to passengers, including motorcyclists.          Transportation Ministry will organize the free ride transportation for about 208,435 passengers and 44,471 motorcycles through land and sea  transportation.

SAFETY OF LEBARAN TRAVELERS GETS PRIORITY

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 27 (Antara) - Millions of post-fasting or Lebaran travelers will start homebound exodus this week for the Lebaran festivities and family reunions in their respective hometowns.          Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan said the government will give priority to the safety of the travelers during the exodus, a tradition that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan every year.          In 2015, for example, some 11.36 million Lebaran revelers across the country headed for their hometowns. Seven hundred people lost their lives in accidents that year.          Therefore, the Transportation Ministry will focus on providing safety and ensuring there are no traffic jams, as per President Joko Widodo's orders.          "Based on the directives of President Jokowi, two things must receive attention during the current Lebaran exodus, namely eliminating gridlocks as people travel back to their homes or when they return, and providing maximum safety during the trip," Minister Jonan told a press conference on Friday (June 24).          The minister will coordinate with the police, particularly the traffic police and the directorate generals of sea, air and land transportation, as well as with the regional governments.

OPERATOR PREPARING FERRIES FOR LEBARAN TRAVELERS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 18 (Antara) - The Merak-Bakauheni and Ketapang-Gilimanuk are the two crossing lanes that are the busiest during post-fasting Ied Fitr or Lebaran festivities season.          Merak and Bakauheni harbors are both ferry ports that connect the western tip of Java and the eastern part of Sumatra.          On the other hand, the Ketapang and Gilimanuk are two ferry ports that connect Java on the eastern tip of the island with the Indonesian tourist resort Island of Bali.          As the Lebaran season is only about two weeks away, state-owned ferry operator ASDP Indonesia has prepared about 52 ferries to serve the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing trips and 56 ferries to cater to Lebaran travelers willing to cross the Sunda Strait from Java to Sumatra or the other way around.         "Some 56 of the 59 ferries at Merak port will serve Lebaran travelers during the Lebaran season this year," PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry for Merak branch, Tommy Kaunan, said last week.          The ASDP data showed that the number of ferry trips for the Merak-Bakauheni crossing, the busiest route, will increase by two percent from 1,566 last year to 1,597 this year.

SEA TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES BEING PREPARED FOR LEBARAN TRAVELERS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 8 (Antara) - Indonesia will once again see the exodus of the devout when a large number of people travel to be with their families for Ied Fitr post-fasting, or Lebaran, early next month.           Tens of millions of Lebaran revelers across the country will be home-bound, traveling by air, land or sea.          A sector that will witness the flow of a large number of travelers will be sea transportation. Although port operators predict the number of those traveling by sea to remain stable this year, the government will not take any risk and will make adequate arrangements lest it is found wanting.          Authorities are gearing up to prepare passenger terminals at seaports and to check the worthiness of ships that will transport Ied Fitr travelers, locally known as 'pemudik.'     Port operator company PT Pelindo III is preparing 13 passenger terminals at ports in the areas where it operates. It has predicted that the number of passengers passing through its 13 terminals will not see a major increase this year.

TRAVELERS RETURNING TO JAKARTA AFTER LEBARAN BEGIN TO DECLINE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 25 (Antara) -- Travelers returning from their hometowns after Eid continued to throng ferry ports and train stations in cities in several parts of the country on Saturday, eight days after (D+8) the festival.          But the flow of travelers is no longer as heavy as that seen several days earlier, with most of them having rejoined work on Wednesday.          However, there are some waiting for the school holidays to end to return.          For instance, till early on Wednesday, about 88 percent of Lebaran holidaymakers from Java, who celebrated Eid in Sumatra, returned to the island. They traveled from Bakauheni Ferry Port in Lampung to Java's Merak Ferry Port.          Thousands of train passengers were also seen arriving from East Java at Senen Railway Station in Central Java on Wednesday. Also, some 9,000 passengers left from the station, with 16 train departures between 0:30 a. m. and noon local time on Wednesday.          "The flow of Eid travelers has been declining on the whole. There were only 16 train departures since early on Wednesday, with only some 9,000 passengers," the senior public relations manager of operation I area of state-owned railway company PT KAI, Bambang Setiyo Prayitno, said here on Saturday.

MOST EID TRAVELERS IN SUMATRA YET TO RETURN TO JAVA

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 22 (Antara) - More than 50 percent of Eid or Lebaran travelers who celebrated the post-fasting family reunion in Sumatra have not yet returned to Java until Tuesday, or four days after (D+4) the festivities.          Data recorded by state-owned Inland Waterway Transportation Service (PT ASDP) for Bakauheni indicated that the number of returning Eid holidaymakers from Sumatra to Java through Bakauheni Ferry Port until Tuesday stood at 263,176, or about 41 percent.          The total number of Eid holidaymakers who traveled from Java to Sumatra through the port before Lebaran was recorded at 647,800.          Thus, until Tuesday, 384,624 travelers were still in Sumatra, even as offices will begin to open on Wednesday.          The government had imposed official joint Eid holidays, starting Thursday, July 16, until Tuesday, July 21, 2015. Lebaran or Eid fell on Friday, July 17, 2015.          This year, the government had forecast the number of Eid travelers who will return to their hometowns for family reunions during the Lebaran festivities across the country to increase by two percent to reach 20 million.

152 EID TRAVELERS KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 15 (Antara) - Traffic accidents have been the 'major killer' in the annual exodus of Eid travelers during the Eid festivities that follow the fasting month.          To avoid the falling of many victims and reduce traffic accident cases, the National Police this month is launching security operations dubbed as "Ketupat Operation" from July 10 to July 25, 2015.          The operation is held to coincide with the Eid traveler's exodus, namely one week before and one week after the Eid D-Day on Friday July 17.          Until Monday or four days before (D-4)  the Eid-al Fitr or Lebaran, however, a total of 152 people have been killed in 723 accidents across the country," Brig. Gen. Agus Rianto, the Public Information Bureau chief of the National Police (Polri), said on Tuesday.          He said on D-4, there were 207 traffic accidents killing 60 people, seriously injuring 148 and causing 169 others to suffer minor injuries.          From Friday (July 10) or D-7 up to Monday (July 13) or D-4, the total dead victims had reached 152 with 251 seriously injured and 809 others suffered from minor injuries.