Govt calls for earlier trips in anticipation of ‘mudik’ congestion

Travellers board a train at Tasikmalaya Station, West Java, on April 5. Two weeks ahead of Idul Fitri, people travelling from Tasikmalaya to the provincial capital Bandung, and vice versa, accounted for the largest proportion of passengers at the station. - Antara

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): The government is urging holidaymakers to start travelling to their hometowns earlier in hopes of avoiding widespread traffic congestion during the upcoming Idul Fitri holiday, which is expected to be the biggest mudik (exodus) season since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said recently that the government was now wrapping up its preparations for this year’s mudik season, with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo expected to conduct the final checks next week.