Polda DIY Anticipates a Surge in Traffic Volume of Up to 2.4 Million Vehicles

Traffic conditions at the Gondomanan intersection, Yogyakarta City from the south side ahead of the 2024 Christmas holiday. (jogjakota.go.id)

Polda Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta anticipates a surge in vehicle traffic during the Christmas and New Year holidays 2025/2026, by preparing a traffic scenario if the traffic volume reaches up to around 2.4 million vehicles.

The Director of Traffic of the DIY Police, Kombes Pol Yuswanto Ardi in Yogyakarta, Sunday, said that the projection was based on vehicle flow data during the Christmas and New Year holidays 2024/2025 which reached around 1.6 million vehicles.

"We are ready when the increase is approximately 50 percent or in the number of 2.4 million vehicles," he said.

According to him, this anticipation is not only focused on the main route to Yogyakarta City, but also on tourist areas that are predicted to be crowded during the Christmas holiday.

As directed by the Governor of DIY Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, Ardi appealed to drivers who did not intend to enter the City of Yogyakarta to avoid the route to the city center.

"Because there will definitely be congestion. We have prepared lanes around the Ring Road, whether it's the North, South, West, and East Ring Roads," he said.

To support the smooth flow of traffic, continued Ardi, traffic engineering instructions have been delivered through a QR code so that it can be scanned and accessed directly by the public.

"We will launch some instructions using QR codes, which can be directly scanned by the public," he said.

In addition, Ardi said the Malioboro area would be one of the points that was expected to experience a significant change in traffic patterns as a result of the closure of the Kewek Bridge.

The situation, according to him, requires vehicle flow engineering from the direction of Tugu Station which can no longer turn directly into Malioboro, but must turn through the Kridosono Stadium.

The engineering also impacted the area around the Gramedia intersection and the road in front of the Bethesda Hospital, Yogyakarta City.

"So, from the Gramedia junction, it will be allowed to go east, past the front of the Bethesda Hospital, then to enter the Malioboro area, it is welcome through the Lempuyangan flyover," he said.

Based on the monitoring of "people counting" on Sunday (21/12), the Head of the Security and Safety Subdirectorate of the DIY Police Traffic Directorate, AKBP Widya Mustikaningrum, said that more than 7,000 people moved in the Malioboro area at 13.00-14.00 WIB.

Based on "traffic counting", the volume of vehicles at the same time was also recorded as quite high at the entrance to the city and the DIY-Central Java border, with more than 11 thousand vehicles entering the DIY area.

Traffic activity at the toll exit also increased, especially through the Prambanan Exit which recorded 827 vehicles entering and 852 vehicles leaving.

"If you look at the numbers, there is indeed an increase and in the field it is also seen that it has increased," said Widya.