Road turned into shopping site

Road turned into shopping site

From Neraca

People are used to the traffic problems in Jakarta, and they have learned to cope with them. The condition is due to the capital's road network, which has become totally inadequate to accommodate the increasing traffic flow each year.

However, when roads are clogged because of other factors, the related department should be alerted to the fact. As an example, one may view the condition of Jl. Jembatan Besi in Tanah Tinggi, Jakarta.

This road was once open to two-way traffic. It was a very vital road for Pasar Senen, or traffic going to Percetakan Negara and back. Nowadays, this road can only accommodate one-way traffic, from the direction of Pasar Senen. This is because part of the road is cluttered with makeshift road stalls selling vegetables, fish, chilies and so on.

We do not know how this road, where M-35 buses once plied the Jatinegara-Senen route, could have been transformed into a market of sorts.

The result of this development is that traffic on Jl. Jembatan Besi is entangled in a persistent snarl. It is not caused by the number of cars. The road is crammed with sellers and shoppers.

We wonder if PD Pasar Jaya or the Jakarta administration knows of this market. We know for certain though, that it has prompted a disturbing and disorderly condition.

Once a clean road, Jl. Jembatan Besi has turned into a filthy passage. It has even become a source of concern for public safety, since it is still used as a one-way road.

The same applies for Jl. Percetakan Negara. Although no kiosks are built on that road, most residential buildings have been brazenly converted into ceramic shops. Although this has been going on for some time, "shop owners" are not able to provide parking space. Therefore, Jl. Percetakan Negara has become jammed at all hours because ceramic shoppers park their cars left and right of the road.

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