TEMPO.CO, Bekasi - State Highway operator PT Jasa Marga has opened all 21 gates in Cikarang Utama tollgates to anticipate the increasing numbers of Jakarta-bound homecoming travelers, which is expected to peak on Sunday, May 8, 2016. All gates - including automatic toll gates - will now accept all methods of payment, in a bid to relief congestion during the end of the long weekend.

The spokesperson for PT Jasa Marga's Jakarta-Cikampek Branch, Iwan Abrianto, said that the number of vehicles could already be observed today, despite the fact that the peak is expected tomorrow on Sunday, May, 8. "Tollgate transactions are currently averaging at eight second per customers - with the utilisation of all gates, we want it to go down to an average of six seconds per vehicle," said Iwan on Saturday, May 7, 2016.

"Out of the 21 gates that will be opened towards Jakarta, 17 are regular gates - but the four e-Toll gates will also be opened for manual, cash transactions," said Iwan.

Jasa Marga is also anticipating congestion around rest areas - namely on KM 71, 62, 52, 42, and 32. "These rest areas will be closed once it has reached its' maximum capacity, so vehicles won't overflow to the tollway and create points of traffic congestion," said Iwan. "Several diversion scheme has also been prepared."

Based on Tempo's observation on Saturday, May 7, 2016, at 15:00 local time, Jakarta-bound traffic from Cikampek is still free from congestion, although cars could only pace at an average speed of 60 kilometres per hour. No congestion can be seen at Cikarang Utama Tollgate, where trails of vehicles snaking for kilometres could usually be seen.

ADI WARSONO