It's not all fun at the fair for visitors

It's not all fun at the fair for visitors

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Thousands of people from Greater Jakarta visited the 2002 Jakarta
Fair at the Jakarta Fairground in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on
the first day of the month-long event on Saturday.

However, some of the visitors complained about the difficulty
of getting to the venue.

Many visitors with children said going to the fair was an
annual family tradition. They did not care too much about what
was on offer.

"Who cares about the goods or the performances? It's more
important to bring the whole family here to relax at the
weekend," said Suhendar, who came from Bekasi along with his wife
and two children.

Suhendar took a city bus from Bekasi to Senen bus station and
changed bus to head to Kemayoran. He was disappointed to find
there were no direct city buses to Kemayoran and he found it
difficult to change buses several times, particularly as he was
with his small children, aged three years and five years.

Sutini, who came from Semper, North Jakarta, with her husband
and daughter, had to spend Rp 20,000 (US$2.3) for the taxi fare
from her house to the venue.

"If there were city buses from Tanjung Priok bus station to
the fairground, we would not have spent so much money," she said.

Jakarta Fair spokesman Adhie M. Massardi, said there have been
deals between the City Transport Agency and the organizers about
city buses plying routes from various bus stations to the
fairground.

"We have made a deal but I don't know why it has yet to
materialize. Maybe because the transport companies contacted by
the agency have the right to reject the offer," he said.

The organizers have also yet to provide shuttle buses
traveling between the fairground to several star-rated hotels
along Jl. Jend. Sudirman and Jl. M.H. Thamrin.

Adhie said the organizers have just finished negotiations with
a bus company to provide air-conditioned shuttle buses.

However, he failed to mention when the shuttle buses would
begin operation. He could only say, "hopefully we can begin next
week."

But Ariyanto Wibowo, a Hotel Indonesia concierge, said, "We
have only just found out about the shuttle buses from the
newspaper. We haven't received official notification from the
organizers".

Over 1,500 participants from companies and regions joined the
month-long event, which was opened by Vice President Hamzah Haz
on Friday. President Megawati Soekarnoputri is scheduled to
attend the grand opening on June 26.

Various performances including music shows, traditional dances
and children's contests will also be staged during the event,
which will run until July 14.