Traffic creeps back to normal after last week's rioting

Traffic creeps back to normal after last week's rioting

JAKARTA (JP): Gambir Railway Station in Central Jakarta
reopened yesterday and road traffic started to creep back to
normal after last week's massive rioting crippled the city of 10
million people.

Roadblocks the military set up to foil an antigovernment
demonstration last week were removed, except for a few leading to
the National Monument (Monas). The demonstration was planned to
begin at the monument.

Students and political activists canceled the demonstration to
avoid possible bloodshed.

Monas Square is surrounded by vital government buildings,
including the presidential palace.

The station, the busiest in town, was closed because of the
planned demonstration on Wednesday. Instead passengers had to
alight and disembark at Manggarai Station, South Jakarta.

"All trains connecting Jakarta and other towns are back in
operation here today," said Gambir Station spokesperson Iis.

Although there was an absence of the city's usually horrendous
traffic congestion, more and more private cars and public buses
were back on the streets.

Roads had been practically deserted since massive rioting
brought economic activities in the capital to a halt on May 13,
when over 1,500 cars and motorcycles trapped in the rioting were
burned by mobs.

There was light traffic at Patung Tani traffic circle in
Central Jakarta yesterday because cars had to take turns to pass
a roadblock that the military had not removed.

Parts of Jl. Thamrin were still barricaded and traffic heading
for Jl. Merdeka Barat was directed to Jl. Kebon Sirih or Tanah
Abang.

Jl. Merdeka Utara, where the presidential palace, home affairs
ministry office, Army headquarters and Supreme Advisory Council
office are located, were closed to the public. Only employees of
offices in the area were allowed to enter.

Yesterday, a traffic jam on Jl. Gatot Subroto in front of the
House of Representatives persisted yesterday due to motorists and
passersby stopping and watching demonstrating students in the
House compound. People parked their cars or motorcycles on the
road.

Traffic congestion has occurred there since Tuesday, when
thousands of students started to stage a noisy antigovernment
demonstration. The protest still continues. (pan)