Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Up to 427 people have died and 1,408 others have been injured in traffic accidents during this year's Idul Fitri exodus, the National Police reported.
These figures were tabulated from reports made between Sept. 25 and Oct. 4, of a total 970 accidents involving 1,258 vehicles, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Abubakar Nataprawira said.
Motorcycles topped the list with 836 incidents (66 percent of the total), followed by private cars with 219 incidents, trucks with 137 and public buses 66.
"The figures may still increase because our traffic operation to ensure the safety of homeward-bound travelers during the Idul Fitri holiday is not over yet," Abubakar said on Saturday as quoted by Antara.
The accidents, which had resulted in an estimated Rp 561 million (approximately US$59,700) worth of material losses, were mainly caused by human factors, such as violations of traffic signals or road markings, Abubakar said.
According to police records, 32,291 vehicles – comprising 21,952 motorcycles, 6,724 automobiles, 1,061 buses and 2,554 trucks – have been involved in accidents over the past 10 days of the operation. The traffic operation began seven days before Idul Fitri and will conclude seven days after it.
Last year, police recorded 1,875 accidents during the Idul Fitri period, which killed 798 people, around 75 percent of which were traveling by motorcycle. The number of fatalities had increased 82 percent from the 2006 figure.
Despite the increasing number of holidaymakers traveling by motorcycle this year, police expected a decline in the number of accidents and fatalities.
The return influx of holiday travelers is expected to reach its peak this weekend, as offices are set to resume activities on Monday.
Almost everywhere around Indonesia, travelers are cramming airports, seaports, train stations and bus terminals, forcing some transportation businesses to add to their regular services.
In Yogyakarta, national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has added three extra flights to its regular nine every day to Jakarta, from Saturday to Monday. Bus operator PO Sumber Alam is operating 250 buses per day, an increase from between 35 and 40 buses per day normally.
In Bengkulu, four private airlines – Mandala Airlines, Batavia Air, Sriwijaya Air and Lion Air – reported tickets for Saturday flights to Jakarta were sold out.