Jakarta. State-owned toll road operator Jasa Marga predicts an increase in the number of vehicles returning to the Greater Jakarta area during the post-Eid al-Fitr exodus from April 10 to 18, through four main toll gates (GT), reaching 1.87 million vehicles, a 1.4 percent rise from the 2023 Eid exodus.

"The traffic volume has begun to increase at the four main toll gates, namely the Cikampek Utama (Cikatama), Kalihurip Utama, Ciawi, and Cikupa gates," said Faiza Riani, Head of the Communication and Marketing Department of Jasa Marga, during a press conference at the Jasa Marga office in Cikatama, Karawang, on Friday.

She predicts that the returning traffic to Greater Jakarta will be dominated by vehicles from the east, or the Trans-Java and Bandung toll roads, totaling 1.06 million vehicles or 56.9 percent. This is followed by vehicles from the west, or the Merak Toll Road, amounting to 461,000 vehicles or 24.7 percent. Then, from the south, or Puncak/Bogor, there will be 344,000 vehicles, or 18.4 percent.

Faiza explained that road users from the east need to be cautious at kilometer 66 of the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road, which is where vehicles from Bandung and Central Java converge towards Jakarta. "We have prepared traffic engineering along with our friends from the Police at kilometer 66," she said.

Jasa Marga predicts that the peak of the 2024 post-Eid al-Fitr exodus will occur on Monday, April 15, with the number of vehicles at the four main toll gates reaching 296,000.

"We urge the public to return to Greater Jakarta before the peak of the exodus. For those who have the flexibility, we encourage them to adjust their travel time and take advantage of the 20 percent toll discount during the exodus period, which is valid from April 17 to 19," said Faiza.

She also mentioned that the number of vehicles entering Jakarta from the east, or the Trans-Java Toll Road on Friday, increased by 44 percent compared to the normal days.