Jasa Marga Clarification Addresses Viral Video Showing Eid Traffic Jam

VIVA – State-run toll operator PT Jasa Marga has tendered an explanation related to a viral video showing a traffic jam ahead of the 2022 Eid exodus, saying that the video was captured last month.

According to Jasa Marga's statement, the video was actually recorded on March 27, 2022, or before the Ramadan month.

"Related to today's viral video that was perceived as a traffic jam occurring on a highway ahead of the 2022 Eid exodus, we convey that the video was recorded on Jagorawi Toll Road Km 34 to Jakarta on March 27, 2022 (or before the fasting month)," Jasa Marga's Corporate Communication and Community Development Group Head Dwimawan Heru Santoso clarified here on Sunday.

According to Santoso, on March 27, a traffic jam had occurred towards Jakarta due to the one-way lane from the Puncak area, West Java, to Jakarta.

Santoso believes it had an impact on several toll roads integrated with the Jagorawi Toll Road, including the JORR Toll Road, which is connected with the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road.

"To reduce the traffic density, based on the police's discretion, Jasa Marga imposed the contraflow policy on the Jagorawi Toll Road starting from Km 17 to Km 8 (Cimanggis to Pasar Rebo)," Santoso stated.

Meanwhile, Jasa Marga recorded that at least 312,755 vehicles had left the Jabotabek (Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang, and Bekasi) area as of the ninth day before the 2022 Eid al-Fitr, or April 23, 2022.

Santoso stated that the total volume of traffic leaving the Jabotabek region fell by 7.8 percent when compared to the normal traffic in November 2021, with a total of 339,205 vehicles.

He further pointed out that the figure was a cumulative count of the vehicular traffic from the four toll gates (GT): GT Cikupa (to Merak), GT Ciawi (to Puncak), GT Cikampek Utama, and GT Kalihurip Utama (towards Trans Java and Bandung). (ant)