RI’s biggest exodus begins

JAKARTA. Just four days ahead of the Islamic holiday of Idul Fitri, which marks the end of the Ramadhan fasting month, travelers across the country have begun to arrive in their droves to celebrate the holiday with friends and family in their respective hometowns.

In Medan, North Sumatra, thousands of homebound travelers arrived at Belawan Port and Kualanamu International Airport on Monday.

State-run port authority PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) I provided three free buses to transfer passengers, who had just arrived at the port aboard the KM Kelud ferry, to the Amplas and Pinang Baris bus terminals in Medan.

On the same day at Kualanamu airport, the number of homebound travelers amounted to more than 20,000 domestic and foreign passengers.

The domestic arrivals at the airport were dominated by travelers from Java, while international flights were dominated by migrant workers returning from Malaysia.

“Today, Kualanamu airport was packed with travelers from Java and Malaysia,” airport spokesman Dewandono Prasetyo Nugroho said.

He added that several airlines, Sriwijaya Air, Lion Air, Citilink and Jetstar, had asked for additional slots due to increasing demand.

Meanwhile, in Surakarta, Central Java, arrivals have packed the city as seen by the increasing number of cars with license plates from outside the city and increase in traffic density.

Surakarta Transportation Office Traffic Management section head Ari Wibowo said the number of vehicles entering the city as of Sunday night had reached 302,308 vehicles.

 “The number of vehicles entering the city seven days before Idul Fitri is down 24 percent this year compared to last year, but has increased by 21 percent six days before Idul Fitri, or a shift in trend. Many of the homebound travelers departed on Friday and arrived in Surakarta on Saturday,” Ari said.

The Central Java chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) will deploy 93 ambulances and 1,228 medical workers seven days before and after Idul Fitri, according to Central Java PMI head Imam Triyanto.

“This is a form of service to people who are traveling during the holiday. We are working around the clock. The medical staff comprises 269 doctors, 149 nurses and 810 volunteers who have skills in providing first aid,” said Imam.

Separately, the passenger surge at El Tari Airport in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), was 20 percent higher compared to usual days. However, none of the airlines needed to lay on additional flights.

“Normally there are about 1,900 arrivals per day, but now it has increased to 2,500,” said airport general manager I Gusti Ketut Gede Arwana on Monday.

The National Police announced that 45 people were killed in traffic accidents on Sunday, or a rise of 80 percent compared to Saturday, when 25 people died as a result of road accidents.

“The number [of accidents] was up by 6.7 percent compared to 206 accidents taking place the day before,” National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Agus Rianto told reporters.

The Tanjung Perak Maritime Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned that the heavy seas in the Java Sea in the past several days were due to the effects of Typhoon Nangka in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines.

“The waves have reached between 3 and 5 meters, followed by strong winds reaching 55 km per hour. We advise ferries and freighters to be aware of the conditions,” said Tanjung Perak Maritime BMKG staff member Eko Prasetyo in Surabaya on Monday.

(Apriadi Gunawan and Ganug Nugroho Adi)