Detours cause traffic misery for

Jakartans
Dewanti A. Wardhani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Headlines | Thu, April 23 2015, 12:45 PM

Can this be Jakarta?: A section of Jl.

Sudirman near Semanggi, which is notorious
for traffic congestion on normal working days,
is eerily deserted on Wednesday evening after
police closed Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin
to make way for delegates to the Asian-African
Conference Commemoration. JP/Awo

Jakartas traffic was extraordinarily congested on Wednesday as a result of detours

enforced by the Traffic Police in order to ensure a smooth journey for delegates to the
Asian-African Conference Commemoration between their hotels and the conference
venue, the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) in South Jakarta.
The Traffic Police closed major roads leading to the JCC, namely South Jakartas Jl.
Gatot Subroto, Jl. HR Rasuna Said and Jl. Sudirman and Central Jakartas Jl. MH
Thamrin, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday.

News worthy events

Despite departing from home earlier than usual, many Jakartans were held up by heavy
traffic. Vinsensia, for example, who took a shuttle bus from her home in Karawaci,
Tangerang, was stuck on the Jakarta inner-city toll road in Pancoran, South Jakarta, for
hours.
I usually take the shuttle bus at 7 a.m., but to anticipate, I left for the office at 6:15 a.m.
today. But the Tangerang toll road was heavily congested, and the exit was closed, so
we were rerouted to Pancoran, which was also congested, she said.
Frustrated, Vinsensia, along with several other passengers, left the bus in the middle of
the highway and climbed over a fence. She then walked to her office on Jl. Gatot
Subroto.

Background events 1

Heavy congestion during morning detours was also noticeable in Palmerah in West
Jakarta near to the JCC as well as Jl. Gatot Subroto.

Background events 2
Agnes, 49, who works as a civil servant in Senayan, also saw her bus rerouted, and
decided not to go to work.
I left home at 6:35 a.m. I usually get off in Senayan, but the roads were closed so the
bus stopped at Komdak in South Jakarta instead. I decided just to go home because
my office was still more than a kilometer away, she said, adding that her bus usually
ended at Blok M in South Jakarta.

Background events 3
The roads were again congested during the afternoon rush hour. As the main roads
were closed, some residents chose to depart earlier, while others took alternative
routes. As a result, traffic tailed back on alternative roads such as Hang Lekir and Jl.
Latuharhari in South Jakarta and Jl. Penjernihan in Central Jakarta.

Background events 4
City bus operator PT Transportasi Jakarta also diverted three of its routes, Corridor 1
(Blok M, South Jakarta, to Kota, West Jakarta), Corridor 2 (Pulo Gadung, East Jakarta
,to Harmoni, Central Jakarta) and Corridor 9 (Pinang Ranti, East Jakarta, to Pluit, North
Jakarta) to adjust to the periods of road closure.

Background events 5
Jakarta Traffic Police chief Sr. Comr. Risyapudin Nursin said that the police had
deployed several personnel in the main intersection spots to reroute motorists to
alternative roads.
However, there will still be traffic congestion, he admitted to The Jakarta Post on
Wednesday. Risyapudin urged commuters to anticipate the traffic detours and travel
earlier to avoid congestion.
Leave the office earlier, at 3 a.m. perhaps, he advised. He also said that over the next
few days, residents should go to the office earlier. Commuters should leave home
before 6 a.m. On Wednesday morning, traffic was already heavy at 5 a.m. Those are
the people who followed the news, he said, adding that people should check the media
for traffic information updates. (fsu)

Sources

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/23/detours-cause-traffic-miseryjakartans.html