Wed, 23 Sep 1998

JIEP sticker scheme may be delayed

JAKARTA (JP): City councilors asked the management of the Pulogadung industrial estate in East Jakarta on Tuesday to postpone its plan to require vehicles passing through the area to display stickers.

During a meeting with executives of the city-owned PT Jakarta Industrial Estate Pulogadung (JIEP), the councilors also urged the management to first seek legal approval from the governor before imposing the rule.

"We also hope that PT JIEP will conduct a thorough study in cooperation with related parties, such as the city land transportation agency and the police, to recognize the impact of the plan on the local community and nearby traffic," Ali Wongso H. Sinaga, head of commission D for development, who led the councilors in the dialog, told the media after the meeting.

Citing security reasons and in an attempt to restrict public vehicles using the area as a shortcut, JIEP reportedly wanted to require all cars inside the area to display specially designed stickers from Oct. 1.

Each of the 250 companies in the industrial estate would be initially provided with 20 free stickers. Should they need more, the firms would be able to buy them from JIEP for Rp 20,000 (US$1.80) each (for sedans and jeeps), Rp 30,000 (trucks) and Rp 40,000 (trailers).

The stickers are valid for one year.

Ali Wongso quoted JIEP executives as saying that about 3,200 vehicles passed through the estate every day.

Members of the public wanting to visit the estate would not have been required to buy a sticker but only deposit their identity cards at the security post at the entrance gate.

None of the JIEP executives could be reached for further comment on Tuesday.

The 430-hectare industrial estate is home to a workforce of 45,000 people employed on a huge number of large-scale industries as well as other businesses, such as printing and publication firms.

The councilors were also worried that JIEP's plan to limit the number of vehicles passing through the industrial estate by imposing the use of stickers could also create heavy traffic congestion on nearby streets, such as Jl. Bekasi Raya and Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan. (ivy/ind)