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)