The Government Affirms The Prohibition Of Going Home On A National Scale

Lonely Toll Road (Angga Nugraha / VOI)

JAKARTA - The government has issued a regulation regarding the ban on Eid homecoming with the aim of preventing the spread of COVID-19 from becoming more widespread. However, many people think that this rule only applies to areas with the status of Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB).

Indeed, this regulation on the prohibition of going home seems to be focused on the Jakarta area and buffer areas such as Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Jabodetabek). This is because the blockages and checkpoints on arterial roads and toll roads are located in areas that lead outside the capital city.

The government, through the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD, said there was no mention of the ban on going home only for regions implementing PSBB when it was announced by the President. So, this rule also applies to all regions in Indonesia.

"If the government announces the general not to go home. No, there is no PSBB or something that will be decided by the government," Mahfud said in a press conference broadcast through BNPB's official YouTube account, Saturday, April 25.

It's just that, said Mahfud, in its implementation, certain areas do not use this rule and instead apply other policies. For example, areas outside Java have not been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and many of their residents are moving from place to place, for example.

Changing places is meant by residents who go from one area to another. However, at a smaller level, for example, a district or district. However, he emphasized that the rules for prohibiting going home must be obeyed by all parties.

This is because this regulation aims to suppress or break the chain of spreading COVID-19. "The government can prohibit anywhere, because it applies to all of Indonesia, it can prohibit anywhere," said Mahfud.

The homecoming prohibition policy has been in effect since April 24 yesterday. So, continued Mahfud, all people are not allowed to go home and must obey these rules.

If they are still stubborn by forcing them to go home, then officers from the National Police and the Ministry of Transportation will take action against them. This has also been done since the day the ban was implemented.

Application

Meanwhile, in relation to enforcement of the rules on the ban on going home, based on data as of Friday 24 April, until 19.00 WIB, approximately more than 1,600 motorists were asked to reverse the direction of their vehicles.

Head of Public Relations of Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Yusri Yunus said the thousands of vehicles were the result of signaling at two points, namely, West Cikarang Toll Road and Bitung Toll Road. "A total of 1,689 units of vehicles were turned around to avoid going home," said Yusri.

Thousands of vehicles are dominated by private vehicles. From existing data, more than a thousand private vehicles tried to exit through the two checkpoints.

"For the Cikarang Barat toll road, there are around 706 private vehicles. Then, on the Bitung toll road, there are around 375 private vehicles," said Yusri.