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.