TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Transportation Ministry is mulling over the policy to ban the people from going on Eid homecoming (mudik) trips by public transport during this year's Eid holiday as an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the emergency period.

"We all know that the mass gathering during mudik is highly avoided in the midst of the pandemic outbreak like today. We’re considering if mudik will be banned," said the ministry’s spokesperson Adita Irawati in a live conference on Friday, March 20.

Adita said Transportation Minister ad interim Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and his team are currently discussing the matter. She added that this option is actually quite risky as the surge of private vehicles will be high since the public will choose to not using mass transportations for mudik.

The ministry, however, offers an option to keep the homecoming traffic open but with tight monitoring at public transport areas.

The government and related ministries will later announce the final decision and disseminate it to the public after conducting further discussions and tests with various samples and methods.

Former Vice President Jusuf Kalla or JK has previously advised the government to ban the Eid homecoming in this year’s period. “In the emergency situation, the government may ask the people to not going for mudik during Ramadan,” JK said as quoted by his spokesperson Husain Abdullah.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has previously increased the emergency status of Covid-19 in Indonesia until May 29, while the Eid al-Fitr days are predicted to fall on May 23-24.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA | FRISKI RIANA