Banten Anticipates Spike In Soetta-Toll Towards Tangerang-Merak During Christmas And New Year Holidays

Merak Crossing Port, Banten. (Between-Akbar Nugroho Gumay)

BANTEN - Banten Provincial Government (Pemprov) anticipates traffic congestion on homecoming routes or tourism and transportation infrastructure in Banten Province to face the 2023 Christmas and 2024 New Year holidays.

Head of the Banten Province Transportation Agency (Dishub) Tri Nurtopo said transportation infrastructure was of primary concern including Soekarno-Hatta Airport (Soetta), Jakarta-Tangerang-Merak Toll Road and Serang-Rangkasbitung Toll Road. "Of course we also pay attention to the infrastructure connecting Tangerang-Merak Non-Toll Road, Merak Ferry Port and the network to the Anyer-Carita-Labuan tourist area," he said in Serang, Banten, Friday, December 8, confiscated by Antara.

Furthermore, Tri said that at Christmas 2023 and New Year's 2024, his party predicts that the number of tourists or vehicles passing through Banten Province will increase.

To anticipate this density, the Banten Provincial Government together with relevant stakeholders will carry out several scenarios for traffic lane regulation. Furthermore, Tri said that currently a Joint Decree (SKB) Number: KP-DRJD 8298 of 2023, SKB: 218/XII/2023, and Number: 19/PKS/Db/2023 by the Ministry of Transportation, Korlantas Polri and the Ministry of PUPR regarding road traffic arrangements as well as crossings during the homecoming flow and backflow of Christmas 2023 and New Year 2024 transportation. With that, said Tri, his party has carried out various coordination and preparations in order to face Christmas New Year's moment, ranging on restrictions on large truck transport and the third axis passing through national roads, toll roads to those that will make crossings through Merak Port. "It will be implemented on December 24-25, 2023. As well as on the backflow," he said. To ensure that it runs well, continued Tri, ASDP Merak will also close access to ticket booking, as well as will cover the types of vehicles prohibited on the SKB.

"We have prepared 18 posts with 180 personnel who will be mobile in the field, alternately, including for posts at points where there are crowds of tourists," he said.

Tri juga mengungkapkan untuk jalur wisata, baik wisata Anyer, Carita hingga Labuan dan wisata Banten selatan. Pihaknya akan melakukan pemantauan dan menyiapkan petugas di sejumlah titik yang berpotensi menimbulkan kemacetan."Seperti untuk jalur wisata Anyer, kita juga akan mengalihkan kepada jalur alternatif melalui rute Gunung Sari maupun rute Ciomas," imbuhnya.Sementara itu, Ketua Komisi I DPRD Provinsi Banten A Jazuli Abdillah mengatakan pada momentum libur Natal Tahun Baru terdapat tiga hal yang harus menjadi perhatian dari pemerintah, yakni pergerakan kendaraan, barang maupun pergerakan manusia.Oleh karena itu, dirinya berharap Pemprov Banten dapat menyiapkan sebuah skema untuk mengantisipasi hal yang tidak diinginkan terjadi."Saya kira libur Natal dan Tahun Baru ini membutuhkan kolaborasi semua pihak, baik itu Pemprov Banten bersama Forkopimda serta stakeholder terkait," katanya.