What you need to know so that your homecoming goes smoothly and you don't queue for fuel

One of these concerns comes from Bayu Widiyanto (27), a resident of Mustikajaya sub-district, Bekasi City, West Java. Bayu went to Yogyakarta in 2023 with his family using a car. During the trip, he did not encounter significant traffic jams because they started their journey earlier, about 10 days before Eid al-Fitr.

Also read: Tips for going home via toll roads, take breaks to master technology

"The problem is, when you fill up with petrol, the queues are very long. Maybe queue for more than 20 minutes. "I found that in West Java and Central Java," said the private employee by telephone, Friday (29/3/2024).

Also read: Used Versus New Cars for Eid Homecoming 2024

He hopes that the queues at public fuel stations (SPBU) will decrease during the 2024 Eid al-Fitr homecoming and return flow. The long queues, according to Bayu, are quite exhausting because he cannot rest properly from driving while waiting in line.

Arbiansyah (43), a resident of Depok who traveled to Lampung during Eid al-Fitr in 2023, said that the journey home has been relatively smoother from year to year. In the previous year, he only had to queue for an hour before boarding the ferry at Merak Port, Banten, which was better than the experience before the Covid-19 pandemic where he had to queue for up to seven hours.

"I hope there will be intervention from the government regarding ticket prices. Taking the bus to Lampung, the ticket price can nearly double during the Eid al-Fitr holiday. So, I ended up riding a motorcycle," said an employee in one of the banks.

Also read: Additional SPKLU Required for Homecoming Needs in Central Java

Movement of people increases

If you encounter problems with fuel and LPG, residents can contact Pertamina's call center at 135.

Official data from the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) shows that it is estimated that there will be a 56 percent increase in the number of people traveling during Eid al-Fitr in 2024 compared to 2023. Last year, national travel was approximately 123 million people. The movement of homecoming travelers during Eid al-Fitr in 2024 is estimated to reach 193.6 million people.

Meaning, around 71 percent of the Indonesian population will engage in mobility to go back to their hometowns during the 2024 Eid Al-Fitr holiday. The surge of people going back to their hometowns is expected due to the pandemic subsiding and an improvement in people's economic conditions. Additionally, there will be collective leave periods and school holidays that overlap. This is also accompanied by an increasing quality of transportation facilities and infrastructure.

Seeing this prediction, the homecoming travelers can consider the timing of their travel to make the journey smoother. Based on calculations and experience from previous years, the Ministry of Transportation predicts an increase in the number of homecoming travelers this year starting from April 5-6, 2024.

Also read: Going home by train? Here are the Tips

The peak of the annual homecoming exodus is estimated to occur on April 8-9, 2024. At that time, around 26.6 million people will travel. Following that, the peak of the return exodus is likely to occur on the third day after Eid al-Fitr or April 14, 2024. It is estimated that 40.9 million people will return to their respective regions at that time.

Director General of Sea Transportation, Ministry of Transportation, Antoni Arif Priadi, urges the public to start their mudik journey earlier. In addition, he suggests using public transportation or the free mudik program provided by the government.

"Avoid using motorbikes because they are very dangerous," he said, representing the Minister of Transportation in a Public Discussion on Readiness Ahead of Lebaran Homecoming 2024, in Jakarta, Thursday (28/3/2024).

Also read: Steal the start of going home by train to avoid peak homecoming traffic

BBM Facilities

In anticipation of fuel scarcity and long queues at gas stations, Pertamina has already increased stock and prepared additional facilities, especially on the homecoming route, logistics route, tourist spots, and disaster-prone areas.

"As an illustration, usually gasoline is prepared for around 18 days or a maximum of 20 days. Now, we are preparing for 30 days. Likewise for aviation fuel, it can be up to 38 days," said Pertamina Main Director Nicke Widyawati during a hearing with Commission VI DPR RI, Thursday (28/3/2024).

Nicke stated that his team is activating all infrastructure owned by Pertamina, including 115 fuel terminals, 30 LPG terminals, and 7,400 gas stations. Travelers can also utilize other additional facilities provided by Pertamina at high-traffic or disaster-prone locations.

Also read: Going home early can get a discount on toll rates of up to 20 percent

"We call it a pocket gas station, which comes in the form of packaged fuel that can be carried by drivers. Later on, there will also be motorized personnel to fill the fuel," said Nicke.

During the meeting, member of the Indonesian House of Representatives' Commission VI, Deddy Sitorus from the PDI-P fraction, stated that in his constituency, North Kalimantan, there are reports of unscrupulous gas stations that are only open once a week.

Even, there are gas stations that manipulate prices. For example, the price of diesel in border and inland areas of North Kalimantan ranges from Rp 30,000 to Rp 80,000 per liter.

When contacted separately, Civil Engineering academic from Soegijapranata University, Djoko Setijowarno, stated that the availability of fuel sales facilities at resting places is important for travelers during their homecoming trips. He hopes that the provision of fuel will not only focus on Java Island, but also in other areas.

"Also, the need for fuel in the Trans-Sumatra toll road should be treated equally as the Trans-Java toll road," said Djoko who is also a member of the Indonesian Transportation Society.

Also read: Remember! Don't choose the wrong port when crossing to Sumatra

In a meeting with Commission VI of the DPR, Nicke actually touched on this problem. He confirmed that Pertamina had carried out mapping to increase fuel infrastructure throughout Indonesia. He also ensured that there would be no increase in fuel prices during the 2024 Eid holiday. If there are problems regarding fuel and LPG, Nicke said, residents can contact Pertamina's call center at 135.

He stressed that gas stations that engage in fraud will have their permits revoked. If that happens, the revocation of the permit will be accompanied by the preparation of temporary facilities to ensure that fuel distribution is not disrupted.