160,000 Jakartans leave capital by buses

News24xx.com - With Idul Fitri just around the corner, some 160,000 Jakarta residents have departed from the capital using buses to gather with their extended families in their respective hometowns in the tradition known as mudik.

From June 15 to June 22, 158,640 inhabitants traveled with 8,774 buses from seven bus stations in Kampung Rambutan and Pinang Ranti in East Jakarta; Tanjung Priok and Muara Angke in North Jakarta; Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta; and Kalideres and Grogol in West Jakarta, the Jakarta Transportation Agency announced.

"The figure is the total number of passengers at seven of Jakarta's main and supporting bus terminals," agency head Andri Yansyah said on Friday, adding that he was yet to calculate the total number of homebound passengers on Friday, which is predicted to be the peak day of the exodus.

Prior to the departures, the agency carried out medical checkups on some passengers and found that 348 out of 1,390 checked travelers were deemed unfit, with most suffering from high blood pressure, influenza or diabetes.

During the same period, the agency also recorded that 90,751 people arrived at the seven aforementioned stations.