Potential Traffic Jams Today, Coordinating Minister For Human Development And Culture Asks Korlantas To Implement Contra Flow On Toll Roads: How To Simulate Several Times

Illustration of the situation of GT Cikarang Utama during the Lebaran 2022 homecoming moment. (Antara)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy highlighted the potential for lock hours or total traffic jams on the return flow for Eid 2022.

He instructed the Korlantas Polri, the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) and toll road service operators to continue to coordinate and swiftly implement situational schemes to avoid the potential for total traffic jams. Muhadjir in his written statement, Sunday, May 8.

Muhadjir then quoted data from the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who predicted that as many as 270 thousand vehicles were expected to enter Jabodetabek today or D+6 Lebaran. According to this data, only 30 percent of homecomers return to their areas of origin. While the other 64 percent are still going home. This means that twice as many homecomers have not entered Jabodetabek..

"If you look at the peak, it's only Sunday, although there are also those who may plan to return home after Sunday. Of course we will maximize several solutions, such as one way, odd-even and contra flow," he said.

Anticipating this, Muhadjir said that Korlantas had prepared a one-way scheme to break up the backflow density today. Starting at 14.00 WIB, a one-way scheme will be implemented from the Kalikangkung Toll Gate (GT) to KM 47 of the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road towards Jakarta.

It is known that the Ministry of Transportation has also advised travelers to postpone their return to avoid traffic jams today because there are still 60 percent of travelers who have not returned.

However, Muhadjir explained, the one way policy on toll roads has an impact on clogged arteries. He also asked the National Police Korlantas and the Ministry of Transportation to consider situational discretionary backflows on toll roads today, such as applying one way to contra flow.

He added that this solution could avoid overcrowding or the potential for total traffic jams for hours on toll roads, as well as arterial routes that are affected by one way. That's why, said Muhadjir, when the potential for total traffic jams begins to approach, a contra flow scheme has been prepared.

"It will be opened at least for contra flow. So that some of the toll roads can be passed by those who originally went through the arterial route. And we have predicted this, and simulated it several times," he said.