Public services still on holiday<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Hasnah expected the mobile post office to come on Monday. She
\nstood with several envelopes in her hand in the parking lot
\nacross from the Blok A market on Jl. R.S. Fatmawati in South
\nJakarta, where the mobile post office is usually parked. However,
\nit never came.<\/p>\n
\"I know the government offices are still on holiday until
\nWednesday. But I thought, at least, the mobile post offices were
\nstill working,\" Hasnah, a resident of Cilandak Barat in South
\nJakarta, told The Jakarta Post on Monday.<\/p>\n
Alex of Tangerang needed to transfer money on Monday to his
\nfamily in Kabanjahe, North Sumatra, from his account at Bank
\nRakyat Indonesia (BRI). But, in compliance with a government
\ncircular, the banks were closed, as were government offices and
\npost offices.<\/p>\n
The government imposed a mass leave for public officials from
\nDec. 5 to Dec. 10, in conjunction with the Idul Fitri holiday
\nthat fell on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7.<\/p>\n
The decision to prolong the holiday is part of the central
\ngovernment's efforts to help out the tourist industry, which has
\nsuffered since the Oct. 12 bombings on the island of Bali.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the capital was still in holiday mode, with none of
\nthe bustling business and traffic congestion of a normal day in
\nJakarta. Many stores were still closed for the holiday.<\/p>\n
However, police stations and community health centers have
\nremained open throughout the holiday, although with reduced
\nstaffs.<\/p>\n
Second Insp. Sugito of the South Jakarta Police said the
\npolice station was offering some services to the public during
\nthe holiday, including renewing driver's licenses, but other
\nunits were closed.<\/p>\n
Rika Manik, a nurse in the emergency room at the Tebet
\ncommunity health center in South Jakarta, said they had
\nstockpiled enough medicine to last through the holiday in case
\nthey could not get more supplies.<\/p>\n
The city itself was relatively quiet on Monday, with little
\ntraffic on the main thoroughfares. The usually congested Semanggi
\ncloverleaf and the toll road exit in front of the Jakarta Police
\nHeadquarters on Jl. Gatot Subroto were unusually free of
\nvehicles.<\/p>\n
Traffic was flowing through the Kuningan and Pancoran
\nintersections in South Jakarta, with construction work on flyover
\nbridges halted for Idul Fitri.<\/p>\n
But in other areas, street vendors and mikrolet (public
\nminivan) drivers flouting the traffic regulations caused nasty
\ntraffic snarls.<\/p>\n
There was a major backup in front of the Pulogadung bus
\nterminal in East Jakarta, caused by street vendors who took up
\nhalf the road and mikrolet that parked in the middle of the road
\nto pick up passengers.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/public-services-still-on-holiday-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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