PUPR Ministry Upgrades Rest Area facilities to Support Eid Homecoming Journey

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) is improving rest and service facilities or rest areas on toll roads to support the 2023 "Mudik Lebaran" or Eid al-Fitr homecoming journey.

"From the experience of the previous year, which went smoothly, the Ministry of PUPR will also add 2,833 mobile toilets from the existing 6,175 toilets, so the total number of mobile toilets prepared on toll roads is around nine thousand units," Secretary of the Toll Road Regulatory Agency (BPJT) of the ministry Triono Junoasmono noted in his statement in Jakarta, Tuesday.

According to Junoasmono, the ministry has also prepared additional facilities in the form of a public electric vehicle charging station (SPKLU) at the rest area of the Java Island toll roads.

These include a charging station at Km 13 A of the Jakarta-Merak route, while for the Jakarta-Probolinggo toll road, the charging station would be established at Km 6B, Km 208B, Km 389B, Km 456B, Km 519B, Km 616B, Km 207A, Km 379A, Km 519A, Km 626A, and Km 695A.

Moreover, for the toll road from Jakarta to Merak, the ministry is collaborating with the state-owned passenger ferry operator company, PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry, to provide counters to purchase tickets for ferries crossing at the rest area of Km 43 and Km 68.

The Ministry of PUPR, Ministry of Transportation, Indonesian Traffic Police Corps (Korlantas), and other relevant stakeholders are working together to support the safety and comfort of the 2023 Eid homecoming.

Based on the Ministry of Transportation forecast, the number of homegoing travelers for Eid 2023 will reach 123.8 million. This number increased by 47 percent nationally as compared to the previous year.

Junoasmono remarked that in anticipating an increase in the number of travelers, the Ministry of PUPR has prepared 2,624 km of toll roads, with 70 toll road sections managed by 49 toll road business entities (BUJT) spread across Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Bali.

The ministry also coordinates intensively with all stakeholders, with the Indonesia Traffic Police Corps, other ministries and agencies, such as the Ministry of Transportation, local governments, and BUJTs, by conducting joint surveys to ensure toll roads that are operating are appropriate and safe to use.

"Currently, we are still completing several repairs and road widening work that we are targeting to finish on D-10 of Eid. After that, all heavy equipment will be removed, so that road users can directly use the road," Junoasmono remarked.

Regarding the 11 toll road sections that will be functionalized, he said, several aspects still need to be anticipated, including the lack of street lighting or incomplete facilities, such as rest areas, due to which the 11 sections cannot be fully functional.

"For example, the Cisumdawu Toll Road, which we will only function from morning to noon since it is not yet complete. However, in the 11 sections, we will later prepare temporary rest areas with toilet facilities, mobile fuel, and a simple food-beverages booth. We will also prepare a temporary rest area on the Cikampek-Palimanan Toll Road Km 81 A and B. Hopefully, it can accommodate the flow of traffic on the toll road," Junoasmono stated.

ANTARA

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