Campaign carnival feared worsening traffic jam

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Serious traffic congestions are feared to hit the city on Thursday as hundreds of decorated trucks and other four-wheeled vehicles will take part in a joint carnival to kick off the general election campaigns to take place up to April 1.

Participant of the event will be representatives of 24 political parties, 38 individual candidates, the city administration, election watchdogs, and 30 members of Jakarta's Provincial and Municipal General Election Commissions.

Governor Sutiyoso is scheduled to send participants of the carnival from City Hall on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan at 8 a.m. after he lead a ceremony there. Participants are expected to City Hall at 7. a.m..

From City Hall, those vehicles will pass through Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan, Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Jl. Sudirman and they will gather under Semangi bridge before they continue their trips enrouting roads in their respective municipality.

Juri Ardiantoro, a KPU Jakarta member responsible for election campaigns, said each political party and DPD candidate were allowed to send five trucks or other four-wheeled vehicles during the carnival.

There will be 310 vehicles if all general election participants send five. The figure is not included vehicles to be used by representatives of the administration, election watchdogs, and KPU Jakarta as well as KPU from municipalities/regency.

Juri said his office had discussed the impact of the carnival to traffic with the police and the city communication agency.

"We believe the traffic congestion will not so serious because the carnival will be held during the three-in-one period," he said, adding that participants would not be allowed to take more than five vehicles.

Participants of the carnival, however, will not only pass the three-in-one roads. From Semanggi clover-leaf, they will continue their carnival to their respective municipality.

Participants from Central Jakarta will head to Jl. Sudirman- Jl. Thamrin, Jl. Imam Bonjol, Jl. Diponegoro, Jl. Kramat Raya, Jl. Senen raya, Jl. Pejambon, Jl. Merdeka Timur (Gambir), Jl. Merdeka Utara, Jl. Abdul Muis, Jl. Tanah Abang I, and finish at Central Jakarta mayor's office.

Those from North Jakarta will go to Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jl. M.T. Haryono, Jl. Ahmad Yani, Jl. Yos Sudarso, Jl. Enggano, Tanjung Priok bus terminal, Jl. Enggano, Jl. Sulawesi, Jl. Raya Cilincing, Jl. Jaya, Jl. Raya Cilincing, Jl. Yos Sudarso and finish in North Jakarta mayor's office.

Participants from West Jakarta will head to Jl. Prof. Dr. Latumenten, Jl. P. Tubagus Angke, Jl. Daan Mogot, Jl. Kedoya Raya, Jl. Panjang, Jl. Lapangan Bola, Jl. Maruya Ilir, Jl. Pesanggrahan, Jl. Puri Indah, and finish in West Jakarta mayor's office.

Those from South Jakarta will continue their carnival to Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Sisingamangaraja, Jl. Panglima Polim, Jl. Fatmawati, Jl. TB Simatupang, Jl. Pangeran Antasari, Jl. Prapanca, and will finish at South Jakarta mayor's office.

And finally, participants from East Jakarta will head to Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jl. MT Haryono, Jl. Otista, Jl. Matraman, Jl. Pramuka, Jl. Pemuda, Jl. Raya Bekasi, Jl. I. Gusti Ngurah Rai, Jl. Pndok Kopi, and finish at East Jakarta mayor's office.

Meanwhile, KPU Jakarta chairman Muhamad Taufik said that after the joint carnival, there would be 20 days of election. He said there would be no campaign on March 22 which would be a holiday to commemorate the Hindu Day of Silence.

He said his office had designed campaign schedule for each political party. Hundreds of places have also been prepared for campaign areas.

According to Taufik, each party had three times of campaign opportunities during the campaign period. The campaign will be centered in five municipalities and Thousand Island regency.

He added three to five political party organize election campaigns in a day. "We have arranged the campaign schedule in such a way so that there would be no clashes among supporters from different political parties," he said.