Preventing Fast Transmission Of Queues By Ship, Tangerang-Merak Toll Road Does Not Implement Contra Flow

The queue of vehicles enters the Merak Ferry port, Banten. (Between-Akbar Nugroho Gumay)

BANTEN - The Banten Regional Police (Polda) did not implement traffic engineering against the flow or contra flow on the Tangerang-Merak Toll Road to prevent the accumulation of cars with motorbikes in line to board the ferry.

"If the contra flow, the vehicle will get to Merak faster, but it will quickly build up dense queues. Meanwhile, we have to adjust the rhythm of the vehicle rising so that it is balanced with the ship's turnover at Merak Port," said Banten Police Chief (Kapolda) Inspector General of Police Abdul Karim while accompanying the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy and the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi visited Merak Port, Banten, today, confiscated by Antara.

The contra flow scheme can indeed cause vehicles to get faster to the Cilegon/Merak toll gate, but it causes queues of vehicles that want to reach the port to be less controlled by the rhythm.

It is feared that it will make travelers even more uncomfortable and safe at Merak Port.

Therefore, the Banten Police uses a "delay system" or an open-close system for road sections to control the flow of travelers who can reach the Merak Port area.

Furthermore, at a separate time, the Director of Traffic of the Banten Police, Senior Commissioner of Police Leganek Mawardi, said that his party would continue to use the "delay system" as a basic tool to unravel the density of queues for vehicles bound for Merak Port.

Leganek said the duration of the "delay system" or the length of time the road is closed until it is reopened is usually between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on what situation is seen in Merak.

"If it is crowded in Merak, of course it will be closed longer," said Leganek.

Furthermore, the reason the Banten Police did not apply the contra flow was because the flow of vehicles heading to Jakarta had to remain open to launch vehicles that were about to leave Merak. "If it is made a "contra flow", it will be a big obstacle here later," said Leganek.