Minister Basuki Will Add Parking Pockets In Toll Road Rest Areas

Photo Illustration ANTARA

JAKARTA - Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono said his party would increase the number of parking pockets at toll road rest areas to prevent long traffic jams, especially during long holidays and religious holiday celebrations.

"In the rest areas, we widen them, we free up land for parking lots that are used specifically for national holidays," said Minister Basuki as quoted by Antara, Monday, June 20.

Basuki said the location of the parking bag will be sourced from the lands around the toll road rest areas, which will be used as a reserve for land availability or a land bank.

That way, the government can use the land bank to be used as public infrastructure such as parking bags on certain days to prevent traffic congestion.

Several locations for additional parking pockets, said Basuki, are on the Jakarta-Merak Toll Road.

Basuki said that he had received approval from the Banten Provincial Government regarding the land that would be used as a parking bag.

"So before the Merak (Port) so that it doesn't pile up, from the evaluation results of the visit from Merak and Bekauheni. Yesterday we met the Banten Governor Official and we have prepared five hectares of land that can be made into parking bags," said Basuki.

Meanwhile, Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi said that his party requested additional toll road rest areas.

This rest area is not used every day, but is always prepared to be used at any time to reduce toll road congestion.

"It is also useful for toll road managers," said Budi.

Previously, Minister of Transportation Budi explained that one of the evaluations for improving the transportation sector from the 2022 homecoming and return flows at the Merak Port was the need for a rest area to filter vehicles to the port that connects the islands of Java and Sumatra.

Vehicle pockets in this rest area prevent homecoming vehicles from entering the Merak area at the same time.

"We will make a rest area bag so that those who are going to Merak will be filtered there. After it is loose, it can be carried out. Others we will ask for the road to be widened. In the long term, we even ask for a bridge to be there, " said Budi.