Denpasar. As holidaymakers wrap up their vacations in Bali and prepare to return to their respective hometowns, authorities are urging caution amid the potential for severe traffic congestion, particularly during the peak of the holiday return flow.

To avoid significant traffic jams, especially on the Bali Mandara toll road, drivers are advised to plan their journeys strategically, learning from the gridlock experienced last Friday.

I Ketut Adiputra Karang, the CEO of Jasamarga Bali Toll, warned that the peak of the New Year's return traffic is expected on the second day of January, specifically on Jan. 2, 2024.

Adiputra revealed that following a meeting with the Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi yesterday, several preventive measures have been put in place to anticipate severe traffic congestion.

"To prevent congestion during the return flow, precautionary steps involve deploying extra personnel for card-tapping assistance and mobile reader officers at every toll booth," he said on Monday.

Moreover, an increased presence of highway patrol officers will be positioned at the exit points of the Bali Mandara toll road.

"We are also in constant coordination with the local transportation department and traffic police to monitor the condition of arterial roads and adjust the duration of traffic lights at exit points," he added.

Adi said that traffic engineering has been prepared, redirecting traffic to Nusa Dua and Benoa in the event of congestion extending up to the Ngurah Rai horse statue.

"We are also in constant coordination with authorities at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport," he clarified.

Last Friday, numerous travelers abandoned their vehicles and resorted to walking to Ngurah Rai International Airport due to severe traffic gridlock. The usually short trip from Kuta to the airport, which typically takes only a few minutes, stretched into a prolonged journey lasting hours.