Huge traffic jams as Indonesia’s Eid al-Fitr holiday exodus starts

JAKARTA, April 29 (Reuters) – Tens of thousands and thousands of Indonesian Muslims are anticipated to journey again to their hometowns to rejoice Eid al-Fitr in coming days, with visitors jams of as much as 10 km (6 miles) already beginning to kind on some routes out of the capital Jakarta.

The choice to as soon as once more enable mass journey dwelling, recognized domestically as “mudik”, comes after authorities banned the custom up to now two years to include the unfold of the coronavirus within the Southeast Asian nation of 270 million folks.

Drone footage this week confirmed lengthy traces of automobiles crawling alongside on both facet of toll cubicles at one of many essential highways out of Jakarta.

Passengers had been additionally beginning to throng prepare and bus stations to finish their trek dwelling.

“It will likely be good to have the ability to see the household as… it has been two years and we’ve not been in a position to go dwelling,” mentioned Tri Wahyuni, 24, who was ready on the Pasar Senen prepare station in Jakarta to move to her hometown of Lampung on Sumatra island.

Earlier this month, President Joko Widodo mentioned on Twitter knowledge confirmed not less than 79 million Indonesians meant to go dwelling for Eid al-Fitr this yr.

For the previous two years, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation has grappled with one of many highest charges of coronavirus infections in Asia, however in current months it has loosened lots of its pandemic restrictions after a pointy drop in infections.

Some native travellers, nonetheless, remained cautious in regards to the dangers from COVID-19, although pointed to greater vaccination ranges and the decrease caseload.

“Hopefully sooner or later, there might be no COVID. Hopefully we will go dwelling yearly,” mentioned Sri Suyanti, 35, one other prepare passenger who was ready together with her daughters.

Writing by Ed Davies, Enhancing by Louise Heavens

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