INDONESIA TO IMPLEMENT FLEXIBLE WORK PLAN TO EASE EID AND NYEPI TRAVEL CONGESTION

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

JAKARTA, March 2 (Bernama) -- With millions of Indonesians preparing to travel home for Eid al-Fitr, the government has announced a flexible work arrangement (FWA) policy to help ease congestion during one of the year’s busiest travel periods.

The initiative, which allows employees to work remotely in the lead-up to Eid, aims to stagger travel times and prevent the usual gridlock on roads, at airports, and on public transport, according to a statement from the Coordinating Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Development.

Minister Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono said that the policy was developed in coordination with the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform to implement FWA, previously known as work from anywhere, in order to distribute mobility flows more evenly and reduce peak congestion.

“Starting from March 24, a week before Eid, we expect FWA to be in place, allowing people to start their journeys earlier and avoid traffic bottlenecks,” he stated during a recent visit to Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, Banten.

Agus pointed out that this year’s challenge is greater due to Eid coinciding with Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, a Hindu celebration observed in Bali, and the government is considering adjusting school holidays to manage the influx of travellers.

“This is part of our commitment to ensuring a stress-free and enjoyable journey for everyone celebrating Eid,” he added.

Indonesia’s Eid homecoming tradition, known as “mudik”, involves tens of millions of people travelling across the country, often causing severe congestion.

-- BERNAMA