Holiday Travelers to Return to Merak Saturday

Jakarta (Antara) - According to a port official, holiday travellers (residents of Merak) will return home after the Idul Fitri celebration. People will be seen travelling back to Merak from Sunday, for the next seven days. "People will start returning home on Sunday because civil servants and employees of private companies have to report to work on Monday (August 12)," said Mario Sardadi Oetomo, spokesperson for the Inland Waterway Transportation Service (ASDP) in Merak, on Friday. He added that people will leave Bakauheni Port, located on the eastern tip of Sumatra, and arrive at Merak Port, located on the western tip of Java, on Sunday. According to Mario, there were several people travelling from Merak to Bakauheni on Friday. "We predict the reverse Idul fitri traffic flow will be higher than the flow of homebound travellers because travellers usually return home with additional family members and domestic helpers," Mario said. ASDP has transported 528,658 passengers, 53,566 motorbikes, and 56,429 four-wheeled vehicles from Merak Port in Java to Bakauheni Port in Sumatra this festive season. (*)