Anticipating Congestion Due To The Surge In Lebaran Homecoming Flows, Transportation Observers Suggest This

Illustration of the Lebaran homecoming congestion. (Photo via Antara/Asep Fathulrahman)

JAKARTA - The government is considered necessary to anticipate the increase in the flow of Eid homecoming this year by adding facilities at service rest areas (TIP) or rest areas, such as toilets. The number of toilets for women is considered to have to be more than the number of toilets for men.

Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Transportation Community Region Strengthening and Development Division (MTI), Djoko Setijowarno said, it is also necessary to build additional rest areas in several places that provide enough toilets.

In addition, the need for additional rest areas outside the toll road which is still close to the toll gate, added the man who is also an academic of the Unika Soegijapranata Civil Engineering Study Program.

"Thus, there is no use of the shoulder of the toll road to rest which triggers traffic jams," said Djoko through his official statement received by VOI, Thursday, March 23.

He considered that the shoulder of the toll road must be clean of unallowed vehicle traffic. This is because the shoulder of the toll road is only used for emergency activities.

Djoko even gave an example, namely one of the rest areas outside the toll road in Central Java Province (Central Java) called the Kopeng rest area, which is located on the Boyolali-Selo-Magelang Road, near the Salatiga T-junction.

If the travelers exit the Salatiga Toll Gate on their way to Magelang, they will be able to rest enjoying the atmosphere of the mountain nature.

The rest area of Copenhagen is managed by Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDES) by involving the local community to fill a number of outlets provided.

"Now it is in the stage of completion of the work and it is hoped that before the Eid Al-Fitr 2023 homecoming period it can be used," he said.

According to Djoko, this rest area can be an example of developing a populist economy and can be built on other provincial roads.

"If the rest area is still full, road users can exit the toll road to find alternative resting places and then enter the toll road again, the cost of exiting the toll road will not be more expensive. Ideally, the rest area separates the parking space from the activity room," he concluded.