Campaign parade expected to worsen traffic

Campaign parade expected to worsen traffic

Bambang Nurbianto
and Evi Mariani
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Heavy traffic congestion is likely to occur in Jakarta on
Thursday when hundreds of party floats pass along busy Jl.
Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman to mark the first day of the election
campaign period.

Representatives of 24 political parties, 38 Jakarta candidates
for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), election
watchdogs and 30 members of the Jakarta General Elections
Commissions (KPUD) will take part in the event.

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso will see off participants from City
Hall on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta, at 8 a.m. The
parade is expected to finish at 2 p.m.

Juri Ardiantoro, a KPUD Jakarta member in charge of campaigns,
played down the possibility of gridlock and said the KPUD had
coordinated with Jakarta Police and the City Land Transportation
Agency on the impact of the parade on traffic.

"Traffic congestion will not be serious as the parade will
take place during the (morning) three-in-one traffic policy (from
7 a.m. to 10 a.m.)," he said.

Jakarta Police traffic division will reroute traffic during
the parade.

"Motorists can access police information on traffic through
radio stations across the city," police traffic division chief
Sr. Comr. Sulistyo Ishak said, adding that his officers would
keep the stations informed of traffic conditions by fax.