Residents Complain of Long Trailer Queues in Cakung-Cilincing

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Cakung Cilincing (Cacing) resident Wahyu Andre has complained about the long queues of large trailer trucks waiting to enter depots for loading and unloading in the Cilincing area, North Jakarta. “This is very disturbing, it cannot be ignored. Residents going to work are hindered, returning home is delayed, because this loading and unloading happens every day, sometimes at dawn, in the morning, even at midnight,” said Wahyu Andre in Jakarta on Wednesday. He said the community suffers many losses due to the queues of container trucks. The large vehicles queue and the line can stretch for several kilometres. “This happens every day, even today it is happening, and there is no action from the government,” he said. He explained the long queues are caused by trucks waiting to enter the depots and a depot system that is not functioning properly, forcing drivers to queue for extended periods. He added that the congestion on Cakung-Cilincing Road has also led to the proliferation of illegal street vendors. “The information is that besides selling food and drinks, there are also prostitution services there,” he said. He noted the severe traffic jams occur because the numerous container trucks queuing to enter the depots for loading and unloading spill over onto the road for hours. According to him, although the centre of the loading and unloading activity is in North Jakarta, the tailback effects can reach as far as East Jakarta and Bekasi. “The epicentre is in North Jakarta, but the economic impact, the social impact, the losses can reach East Jakarta and Bekasi. This is very detrimental,” he said. He expressed hope that the Provincial Government could properly resolve the issue that is disturbing residents around Cakung Cilincing. “There must be a final solution. So far, it has only been handled partially, North Jakarta does its part, East Jakarta does its part, but there is never a final solution. Tomorrow it happens again, the day after it happens again,” he said. He urged the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, through the Transportation Agency and the Metro Jaya Police Traffic Directorate, to take proper enforcement action to provide a comfortable solution for residents. He said residents would embrace the truck drivers, who are also victims, to voice their concerns so the situation can be resolved. “If not, we will take to the streets in protest so this issue gets the government’s attention. This is a serious problem,” he said. Previously, the North Jakarta City Administration stated it would soon regulate heavy vehicle parking in the area, especially those located in residential zones and on public roads. “This regulation must be done together. We start with data collection on heavy vehicle parking locations in residential zones, then proceed with more comprehensive handling measures,” said North Jakarta Deputy Mayor Fredy Setiawan in Jakarta on Wednesday. He said the city administration had held a meeting to discuss steps for regulating the parking of heavy vehicles, such as trucks and containers, which are still frequently found in residential areas. “The Cipta Karya, Spatial Planning and Land Sub-agency has recorded hundreds of heavy vehicle parking spots and pools in North Jakarta, some of which are in residential zones,” said Fredy.