Fair visitors less than expected

Fair visitors less than expected

JAKARTA (JP): The number of people visiting this year's
Jakarta Fair is falling short of expectations, raising fears that
the targeted three million visitors will not be achieved.

Over the first nine days, the number of visitors reached
425,350, lower than the 671,540 visitors over same period last
year.

"Data at the ticket sale section shows that the number of
visitors has plummeted this year," the Antara news agency
reported yesterday.

According to the report, frequent rain and unreliable public
transportation are to blame for the unsatisfactory attendance.

The Jakarta Fair, which is being held in Kemayoran, a popular
promotion arena for businesses and also cheap recreation for
middle and lower class Jakartans, was opened on June 17 and will
run until July 15.

Many visitors have complained that public buses like to drop
passengers before the buses arrive at the fair ground, as they
are supposed to.

Visitors also find it more and more difficult to get a bus
home at night, while taxi drivers refuse to use their meter and,
instead, demand fares much higher than the normal.

"It seems that the city administration is unable to control
taxi drivers. The Jakarta transportation agency should use its
authority to overcome the problem," one visitor said.

Data available from fair management shows that the value of
transactions from June 17 through June 22 reached Rp 4.1 billion
(US$1.8 million). Consumer goods and soft drinks are the best
selling.

Meanwhile, a 22-year-old visitor to the fair, Edy Riyadi,
remains unconscious at the Cempaka Putih Islam Hospital following
a fall from the second floor of the Trade Mart building on
Saturday night. (pan)