Indonesian Police Urge Homecoming Travelers to Depart Early to Avoid Traffic Congestion

JAKARTADAILY.ID - As the date of the joint holiday for the 2022 Eid al-Fitr has been confirmed, people who will travel for homecoming or "mudik" are to prepare all things necessary.

One thing to keep in mind for every traveler is to always maintain the health protocols, both before and during the homecoming trip, so as not to contribute to the spread of COVID-19, which is currently still ongoing.

With the government allowing Indonesians to perform Eid homecoming provided health protocols are observed, it is estimated that there will be a surge in people who will return to their hometowns after two years of no homecoming and Eid holidays.

The Head of the Police Traffic Corps, Inspector General of Police Firman Shantyabudi, appealed to the public to travel early for the 2022 joint leave and Eid holidays.

"By departing earlier, [people] will prevent the traffic congestion during the joint holiday," said Firman.

People are expected to travel earlier if they can take their leave earlier than the government's scheduled joint leave. By doing so, people would not travel in a period all at once, reducing the traffic burden.

"Early [departure] for homecoming, this will reduce the potential for traffic congestion on April 28 to May 1," he said.

The suggestion is based on reports that students will be off from school from April 22, whereas civil servants will begin their leave on April 29.

Traffic engineering by applying one-way lane and odd-even systems will be carried out simultaneously on April 28, 2022. Moreover, joint personnel of police will be on full watch to urge the public to obey the traffic rules.

"We have to arrange this so that people would safely go on their trip. Therefore, we hope that people [are willing] to take our suggestion and put on the schedule what time they should depart from home," said Firman.

The public can also use the facilities from free homecoming programs provided by the government or companies that offer such services. Using the free homecoming facility will reduce the use of private vehicles during this year's Eid homecoming.

"This is an effort by the government, including the National Police, to encourage people to use public vehicles to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. Please make use of the free facilities," said Firman

Furthermore, Firman also encouraged the public to always obey the traffic rules so that all travelers can be safe throughout their homecoming trip.

The article was translated from Pikiran-Rakyat.com's article titled "Mudik Lebaran 2022 Lebih Awal bisa Hindari Kemacetan Lonjakan Arus Lalu Lintas".
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