More Flexible, Car Rental in High Demand Ahead of Homebound Trips

Jakarta – The government predicted that the land route will still be the favorite route among travelers to go back to their hometowns. Infrastructures that are almost completed, especially Trans Java, are the main factor.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, as quoted from Suara.com (April 17, 2019) projected that almost 70% people living in Java Island will travel home by land.

Therefore, the government has prepared some measures, including establishing speed limit on Trans Java toll road. For this matter, Transportation Ministry has coordinated with toll operator Jasa Marga.

In every period of homebound trips, many companies are providing free homebound trip service. Some uses private cars, some others rent cars.Renting cars for homebound trips is currently trending because of its greater flexibility during the journey.  

TRAC-Astra Rent a Car Chief Operating Officer Agus Riyadi,as quoted from Kompas.com (May 18, 2018), said that one of the things that must be paid attention to when renting a car is knowing the specifications and the type of car that will be rented.

Second, the customer must pay attention to the company’s service. The car will be used for long-distance travel or out-of-town trip, so the company must be available 24 hours for emergency contact. Thus, people can feel safe and comfortable when renting cars.

The next point is the availability of mechanic shop network in the destination city or along the way to the destination.This is important in case a problem happens and the customer needs a replacement car. Thus, service user won’t have to wait for long.

Fourth, the customer must check the car’s functions first. Agus even advised to conduct a test drive. “Fifth, perform a comprehensive check of the car’s body to find out whether there are scratches or damages on the car’s body before the trip,” Agus said.

Indeed, using rented car to travel costs higher. However, there are other benefits to using rented car for homebound trip. Agus said that the first benefit is that the mileage of the customer’s private car will not increase.

Second, the customer can choose a different type of car than the car they own. Customers who rent cars for homebound trips are not only those who do not own cars, but also those who already own cars. "For example, the car at home is a sedan. Then, they can rent MPV, Toyota Avanza, or Innova, so the whole family can fit in," he said. (Liputan6.com, 21/5/2018).

Agus explained that the customer should book at least one month before departure to be able to choose the car they want to use. This is because the nearer it is to D-day, the more difficult it is to get a car. The number of people who want to rent cars ahead of Eid al-Fitr usually increases by 20% to 30% compared to the other months.

TRACnow has around 1,200 passenger cars across Indonesia, as well as 184 buses that are also available for homebound trips. "Our cars are still of a young age, no more than three years.The younger the car is, the better also the condition is," Agus said.

Other than ensuring the quality of cars, TRAC also holds homebound trip promo, “Ayo Mudik! 2019”, to make it more convenient for the people. There are various special packages on offer; check here for detailed information