More alternative routes set for public during AELM

More alternative routes set for public during AELM

JAKARTA (JP): Alternative routes will be set up to alleviate
traffic on the major streets and toll roads that will be used
exclusively by delegates from the Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) during their summit meeting on Nov. 15.

"Based on Tuesday's rehearsal, we have found that more
alternative roads are badly needed to avoid congestion at a
number of points," head of the City Traffic Police Directorate
Col. Soeroso told reporters here yesterday.

During the 18-country meeting, a number of major streets and
toll roads will be temporarily closed to make way for the convoys
of delegates and heads of states during their arrival and also
for the gala dinner, conferences and departures scheduled between
Nov. 11 and 16.

According to Soeroso, also the senior officer responsible for
transporting the delegates, the opening of more alternative roads
applies to almost all streets throughout the city heading towards
the Semanggi intersection.

By providing more alternative roads, it is hoped that
motorists heading for Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jl. Sudirman, Jl.
Thamrin and the Semanggi-Bogor toll road on Nov. 15, from morning
until night, will be easily re-routed so as to reduce traffic
jams, he said.

"We plan to shift motorists, for example, from the southern
part of the city beginning from Jl. Fatmawati in order to avoid
congestion on Jl. Sisingamangaraja," Soeroso said.

Soeroso also urged the public to be understanding about the
blockade of the major streets and toll roads during the APEC
meeting.

"It will be better if motorists wake up earlier and find their
own alternative roads during those days," he said.

According to a proposed plan, each delegate's convoy will
consist of 11 cars of different types and five Kawasaki 1,000 CC
motorcycles. The set-up of the convoy is arranged as follows:
traffic police in a Ford Orion sedan in the front row as the
sweeper, three military officers on Kawasaki motorcycles,
protocol officers in a Nissan Infiniti jeep, security officers in
a Nissan Patrol jeep, the VIPs in two Mercedes C-600 sedans,
another group of security officers in a Nissan Patrol jeep, a
reserve Mercedes C-360 sedan for the VIPs, the VIP ministers in
two BMW 740i sedans, other members of the delegation in two VW
Caravelle vans and two military officers on motorcycles behind.

Pertamina

In a related development, Pertamina announced here yesterday
that the state-owned oil company will put dozens of fuel-supply
trucks into operation to prevent any possible shortages of oil
during the upcoming APEC meeting.

"Some of the fuel-supply trucks are now on stand-by in the
Senayan parking area, ready to supply fuel to cars carrying the
official guests," the acting head of the Pertamina's fuel
distribution and superintending office for Jakarta, Djagunung
Manik, told reporters.

The operation, which started on Monday, will continue through
Nov. 25, he said.

"In the Senayan area, we will also provide mobile dispensing
pump stations, which will take fuel directly from the supply
trucks," he said, adding that it will provide both fuel-supply
trucks and mobile pump stations at a location near the summit
venue in Bogor.

According to Manik, Pertamina plans to provide around 226,000
liters of premix fuel and 300,000 liters of premium oil to serve
the international event.

Pertamina will also deploy hundreds of its staff members to
supervise fuel services at all the fuel stations in Jakarta and
Bogor, he said.

Pertamina's main fuel distribution station in Tanjung Priok
now stockpiles around one million liters of fuel, more than
enough for this month's activities, Manik said. (bsr/fhp)