JAKARTA - Minister of Transportation (Menhub) Budi Karya Sumadi said that the planned mechanism for implementing free toll rates if the queue of vehicles at toll gates exceeds one kilometer during Lebaran 2022 homecoming will be regulated by the National Police Headquarters.
"Regarding land transportation, the question was that if there was a one kilometer traffic jam, it would be free. So there is also a procedure, because the authority as class leader lies with the Police Headquarters who will assess whether it is feasible or not," said Budi, quoting Antara, Sunday, 24 April.
Budi also said that the implementation of such a rule is one way to encourage toll road managers to provide maximum service during the Lebaran homecoming period.
"This is intended so that Jasa Marga or all toll operators care. Do not let there be congestion, by adding people, by system, regulating roads and so on. Even giving advice, selling toll cards to anticipate congestion," he said.
He said the toll tariff exemption was one of the government's options in anticipating the accumulation of vehicles during the Lebaran homecoming period. However, his party still anticipates that congestion will not occur, by maximizing services.
"So if it causes a traffic jam that lasts more than one kilometer, we will give discretion and the police will give discretion to allow toll tariffs to be waived," he said.
He revealed that currently there has been an increase in the number of homecoming flows, both through air and land transportation modes, which means that people have followed the government's recommendation to go home for Eid early.
Like at Soekarno Hatta Airport, the number of aircraft movements that used to be an average of 600 take off landings in one day, and after two days has now become 900 flights.
Meanwhile, Director General of Civil Aviation Novie Riyanto added that the movement of aircraft passengers is now continuing to increase ahead of Eid.
"In 2019 there could be around 1,200 passengers per day, now there are 900 passengers. It is predicted that before Lebaran, it can reach 1,200 to 1,300 passengers per day," he said.
With the increase in the number of passengers, he continued, a number of airlines have made requests to hold extra flights.
"To anticipate the surge in passengers, airport operations have been optimized from the previous 12 hours to 18 to 24 hours," he said.
In this year's homecoming, it is predicted that as many as 8.9 million people will go home by plane or about 10 percent of the total homecomers which are predicted to reach 85.5 million people.
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