Traffic smooth when police work
Traffic smooth when police work
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Jakarta is notorious for its chronic traffic congestion. But, it
seems police can play a significant role in reducing traffic woes
if they want to.
Motorists traveling from Pamulang in Tangerang to Pasar Jumat
in South Jakarta, who normally face heavy traffic in Ciputat,
were surprised on Tuesday when the traffic in the normally
congested area ran smoothly.
Police had been deployed to ease traffic flows in Ciputat.
"The street is incredibly smooth. I can zip through the street
easily thanks to the presence of more police personnel," said
Bianca, a resident of Pamulang.
The roads were rerouted to provide more leeway for hundreds of
guests attending the celebration of the police's 57th anniversary
at Pondok Cabe police airbase nearby.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who led the celebrations,
traveled by road to the venue.
Police said they had deployed 540 personnel to ensure traffic
order in Ciputat and the surrounding areas.
"Police officers can be seen every 10 meters directing the
traffic," Bianca said.
Public transportation vehicle drivers, blamed for the daily
jams because they often load and unload passengers in the middle
of the street, mainly abided by the traffic laws, prompting the
traffic to run smoothly.
"Also, street vendors, who usually occupy many parts of the
street, were not seen," said Rani, a resident of Ciputat.
Traffic gridlock is a common sight across the capital,
especially during rush hours. One of the causes is the rapidly
growing number of vehicles in the city, while road infrastructure
has not kept pace.
Jakarta police traffic division chief Sr. Comr. Sulistyo Ishak
said earlier that police were planning to ease traffic flows
across the city, with every subprecinct to be assigned to handle
one traffic spot in the area they oversee.
The police would also take tougher action against traffic
violators by reprimanding and ticketing them, he said.
The police ticket an average 18,000 motorists per month.