Ports still packed with returning holidaymakers

After celebrating Lebaran festivities in their hometowns and villages for a week, thousands of returning holidaymakers continued to flock to ferry ports and bus terminals on Monday.

The sharing of joy with family members and relatives at home during Idul Fitri this year has come to an end, and now the holidaymakers must return to the cities where they work.

Bakauheni ferry port in Lampung and Merak port in Banten were still packed with returning holiday travelers those leaving Sumatra for Java island on Monday morning, three days after the end of Idul Fitri festivities.

Bakauheni-based Inland Waterway Transportation Service PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry spokesperson Yanus Lentanga stated that although passenger traffic peaked on Sunday, thousands of people could still be seen at the port on Monday.

As of Sunday evening, he noted, a total of 96,104 people 20,502 pedestrians and 75,602 passengers using various modes of public transport had travelled from Bakauheni Port to Merak Port in Banten.

"People in Sumatra arrived at Bakauheni Port on buses, private cars, and motorbikes. Then, they headed to their respective workplaces in Java," Yunus said.

Between Sunday and Monday morning, he continued, 12,124 motorcycles, 8,432 cars, and 9,118 buses and trucks had been transported from Bakauheni to Merak.

"However, more than 404,000 passengers, 39,695 motorcycles, and 43, 472 cars and buses will arrive at Bakauheni Port later on Monday. They will be transported to Merak," Yunus stated.

During the festive season, he added, a total of 564,593 people from Java travelled to their hometowns in Sumatra via Bakauheni Port.

Meanwhile, from Saturday through Monday, Rajabasa bus station in Lampung was seen packed with people from various cities in Sumatra leaving for Jakarta, Bandung and other major cities in Java.

"Since Saturday evening until late on Sunday night, returning holiday travelers were seen flooding the Rajabasa bus station," said Bandarlampung Mayor Herman HN, when inspecting the bus station on Monday.

He said the traffic of returning holidaymakers might have peaked on Sunday, but the heavy flow of passengers could continue until the end of school holidays on Friday (August 16) this year.

Rajabasa bus station spokesman Antoni Makki agreed, stating that the bus station was likely to be see many returning holiday travelers until Friday.

"On Saturday, the day after Idul Fitri, a total of 686 buses were deployed to transport 15,442 passengers returning from their hometowns," Antoni said.

On Sunday evening, a total of 18,885 travelers arrived at Kampung Rambutan bus station in East Jakarta from their hometowns in West Java and Central Java.

"The returning travelers started arriving here on Saturday and will continue to come until early Monday morning, because of the short holiday period for this year`s Idul Fitri," Kampung Rambutan bus station spokesman Simon Ginting explained.

According to information received from the bus terminal, the number of returning travelers on third day after Idul Fitri was higher than that of the second day, in which a total of 10,463 travelers arrived on 557 buses.

The third day's figure was also higher than that of the same period last year, which saw the arrival of 14,437 people by buses.

The returning holidaymakers, traveling on private cars, motorcycles, and public transports, also caused jams in Java`s southern and northern highways.

Kulonprogo district transportation department spokesman Joko Tri Hadmono stated that the main highway linking Yogyakarta and Purworejo was packed with returning holiday travelers on Sunday and Monday morning.

"A total of 51,000 vehicles passed the Yogyakarta-Purworejo highway on Saturday. And on Sunday evening, the number rose to 52,000," Joko said, adding that the traffic was likely to continue increasing until Monday morning.

Prospective returning passengers, leaving Solo for Jakarta, Bandung and other major cities in Java, from Saturday until Sunday, have been seen thronging Tirtonadi bus station.

Tirtonadi bus station spokesperson MV Djamilah said in Solo, Central Java, on Monday that the number of short-distance outbound passengers those heading to Purwokerto, Cilacap, Semarang, Surabaya, Purwodadi, and Yogjakarta increased on Saturday and Sunday but declined on Monday.

"It seems that the flow of returning holiday travelers from the Tirtonadi bus station on Monday is less heavy than that of Saturday and Sunday," Djamilah stated.

Unlike on Saturday and Sunday, she noted, the bus station saw normal business on Monday, with a small number of people leaving Solo for Banyuwangi, Jember, Surabaya, Malang, Blitar, Kediri, Wonosobo, Yogyakarta, Semarang, and Jakarta.

According to Djamilah, a total of 2,533 buses, with 36,414 passengers, arrived at Tirtonadi bus station on Sunday, while 2.229 buses carrying 39,283 passengers left the bus station the same day. 

Groups of returning holiday travelers riding motorcycles from Central Java were also seen crowding Java`s northern coastal highway in Cirebon on their way to Jakarta.

Traffic police spokesman Adjunct Commissioner Bagus said in Cirebon on Monday that the highway was packed with convoys of Jakarta-bound motorcycles on Sunday evening and Monday morning.

Bagus noted that the motorcyclists prefered traveling by day to avoid the long queues of private cars at night.

Some motorcyclists also formed groups when traveling along Java`s northern coastal highway.

Yusri, a motorcyclist returning from Semarang to Jakarta, said many groups of motorcycles and private cars with Jakarta license plates caused extensive traffic jams on the northern coastal highway from Jomin intersection to Subang on Saturday and Sunday.

But, he added, the number of motorcycles and private cars heading towards Jakarta along the highway on Monday was less than that of previous days

Source: ANTARA