Pramono Insists Ancol Tickets Cannot Be Free for Everyone
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo has stressed that admission to the Ancol tourist area in North Jakarta cannot be made free for everyone.
He was responding to calls for free entry to Ancol made by members of the public who had staged a demonstration at City Hall in Central Jakarta.
Pramono said the request could not be fulfilled because maintaining the tourist attraction required funding.
“I am also surprised that there is a demand for free entry for everyone. It simply cannot be done, because maintaining and looking after both Ancol and Ragunan requires money,” Pramono said in the Plumpang area of North Jakarta on Tuesday evening (27 October).
He said, however, that the Jakarta Provincial Government had already made admission to Ancol and Ragunan free for recipients of the Jakarta Smart Card (KJP) and the Jakarta Excellent Student Card (KJMU).
“Ancol and Ragunan are free for children who receive KJP and KJMU. So entry is not free for everyone,” Pramono said.
Residents have complained about the cost of visiting Ancol. Parking and admission fees are considered burdensome, particularly for people visiting with their families.
The complaints were raised during a meeting between representatives of Warga Jakarta Bersatu and several members of the Jakarta Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) at the Jakarta DPRD building on Tuesday (27 October).
Andi, a spokesperson for Warga Jakarta Bersatu, said parking and admission to Ancol each cost Rp25,000.
Visitors arriving in private vehicles therefore have to pay at least Rp50,000 for parking and admission, before other costs are included.
Andi said expenses rise further when residents visit with their families. Admission alone, he said, can reach hundreds of thousands of rupiah for a family bringing several children.
“What if you have two or three children and a wife, so there are five of you? At Rp25,000 each, that is quite a lot. The money for going to Ancol is all spent just getting in,” Andi said.