Police must keep better watch

Police must keep better watch

From Warta Kota

On Jan. 30, 2001 evening the traffic all along Jl. MH Thamrin, Jakarta, was smooth because there were some traffic police officers on duty enforcing discipline from the traffic circle at the end of Jl. Thamrin (in front of Bank of Indonesia) as far as the one at Hotel Indonesia.

As a daily user of Jl. Thamrin, particularly on my way home from the office in the evening, I notice that there are always traffic jams in front of two bus-shelters: the one at Sarinah and the one across the road from Sogo shopping center.

In my opinion, there are three factors which normally cause those traffic jams, namely (i) the attitude of people waiting for the bus or simply crowding the bus shelters (they often wait outside the shelter or on the road); (ii) the attitude of bus drivers, who often do not stop at the shelter but almost in the middle of the road, and they do not care about other road users (sometimes two big buses stop side by side thus blocking the slow lane, especially at the Jl. Wahid Hasyim crossing); and (iii) the absence of the police exactly at the time where there are traffic jams, in particular at the two spots above.

What surprises me is the traffic situation near the Sogo or Hotel Indonesia traffic circles. Although there are often policemen on duty there, traffic jams have continued to occur and are ignored, as if police were too lazy to take action.

I think I have brought this to all parties' notice and hope they will take the necessary remedial actions.

ANWAR FUAD

Jakarta