The extended public holiday in observance of the Mawlid (the birth of Prophet Muhammad SAW)and the weekend has prompted many residents to return to their hometowns or travel out of town. This was marked by a rise in passengers departing from Pulo Gebang Integrated Terminal, East Jakarta.

Pulo Gebang Integrated Terminal Team Commander Badman Harahap reported that the number of intercity and interprovincial (AKAP) bus passengers departing on Thursday (9/4), from morning until night, reached 5,060.

"There was a significant increase in passengers up to 100 percent compared to regular days, which normally around 1,000-2,000 passengers," he said on Friday (9/5).

Badman explained that the thousands of passengers departed aboard 514 AKAP buses, with most heading to various destinations in West Java, Central Java, and East Java, such as Surabaya, Malang, Madiun, Brebes, Tegal, Pemalang, and Purwokerto.

"There were also departures to several areas in Sumatera, such as Pekanb aru, Lampung, Bengkulu, Palembang, and Padang, although the numbers were not as significant," he mentioned.

He added that between midnight and 8 AM today, 596 passengers departed on 62 AKAP buses, while 1,129 arrived on 252 buses.

"Passenger volume is expected to continue increasing until tonight," he noted.

One AKAP bus passenger, Tugiyat (42), shared that he was heading back to his hometown in Purbalingga, Central Java.

"My wife and kids are there, so I always go home during long holidays. It's nice to spend time with family and ease the longing," he said.