Government Prohibits Homecoming, Ministry Of Transportation Makes Transportation Regulations For Eid Al-Fitr 2021

Toll gate illustration (Antara)

JAKARTA - The government is discussing transportation regulations as a follow-up to the 2021 homecoming ban. Including the possibility of imposing sanctions for those who insist on going home to their hometowns.

This is done because the government has strictly prohibited the implementation of going home during the Eid holidays and is regulated in Circular Number 12 of 2021 concerning Provisions for Domestic Travel during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

"The Ministry of Transportation supports the ban on going home based on considerations to anticipate a spike in the Covid-19 case and the results of the ministerial meeting decisions," said Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, Monday, March 29.

The government prohibits homecoming activities during the Lebaran holiday for the travel period of 6 to 17 May 2021. In drafting regulations related to the prohibition of going home, the Ministry will refer to the results of a survey on public perceptions conducted by the Research and Development Agency and the Bandung Institute of Technology.

"As a follow-up, we are currently drafting transportation control regulations that involve various parties," he added.

The survey, which was followed by 61,998 respondents, stated that 89 percent of the people would not go home on the upcoming Eid al-Fitr. Meanwhile, another 11 percent said they would continue to go home for Eid or on vacation.

The national estimate for the potential number of travelers is 27.6 million. The most homecoming destinations are Central Java with 37 percent, West Java 23 percent, and East Java 14 percent. Apart from referring to the survey, the Ministry of Transportation asked for input from various parties, including transportation observers, sociologists, and other stakeholders.

"The Ministry of Transportation is always committed to helping prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic throughout Indonesia by issuing regulations and circulars as instructions for implementing transportation control and passenger travel requirements," he concluded.