Out & About: Saturday night fever stuck in Pasar Minggu traffic

Tue, 09/30/2008 10:16 AM  |  City

Finally, I made my deadline this week, though I missed all the fun on Friday night because I was working until two in the morning.

But that didn't mean I could sleep all day Saturday. I woke up at 7 -- forgot to switch that buzzing thing off -- and got ready to tackle my to-do list: meet old friends at the University of Indonesia in Depok, go check out a new indie music band performing at Viky Sianipar Music Center in Manggarai, South Jakarta, and pass a package to a friend in Sarinah, Central Jakarta.

I thought I could spend just a few hours running around before enjoying a long rest until Sunday, but I had that all wrong.

After years of not going to Depok, I saw some developments, some of them good, I must say.

Two newly built underpasses in Pasar Minggu and the widened access road along Jagakarsa-Lenteng Agung saved me from losing it because of reckless bus and minivan drivers.

But still nothing has changed with the traffic along Kalibata-Pejaten. I blame the informal traffic managers, pak ogah, who were stopping cars and letting those who handed over small change pass through the U-turns.

The closer to Depok I got, the more traffic brought back bad memories. Nearing my old campus, the congestion began to creep at a snail's pace.

Despite the presence of the two underpasses and the wider road, traffic was the same 10-year-old story.

During my university years, I had to muddle my way through five chronic traffic hot spots from Slipi, where I lived, to Depok. The zones were in Pancoran, Kalibata, Pasar Minggu, in front of Pancasila University and at the Jakarta-Depok border.

At busy times, it took about two hours to get to Depok, more if it was raining or any specific clogs occurred. My fastest travel time was about 45 minutes, if I set out after 10 at night.

The other route I used to take was via Warung Buncit which had seven traffic jam points: two at Warung Buncit's crossroads; three intersections -- the Mangga Besar T, Ragunan-TB Simatupang, and Jagakarsa-Tanjung Barat; Pancasila University; and the Jakarta-Depok border. Oddly, with more traffic jam points, this route took only an hour and 45 minutes at busy times, saving me 15 minutes.

So Saturday night, I left Depok for Manggarai at 7 p.m. with a friend. The first phase of the trip was incredible: no congestion in front of Pancasila University or at Jagakarsa-Tanjung Barat.

Arriving at the Pasar Minggu underpass, my friend piped up, "Say Jor, isn't the toll road better?"

He wanted to take the TB Simatupang toll road to get to Manggarai. I didn't responded until after I was embroiled in the hectic, chaotic, choking traffic jam on the other side of the underpass. Just guess who was contributing to the congestion. Yep, you bet, the U-turners ably assisted by the pak ogah.

My friend, who lives in Depok, said many Depok people usually go by car or motorcycle through Pasar Minggu Saturday nights to get to the entertainment centers and shopping malls in south Jakarta.

Can't the government make these revelers take the bus or train?

But then here I was driving a car and surely contributing my fair share to the traffic jam, so I just grinned as my buddy continued his long rant and switched the radio from jazz to heavy metal.

It was a long night.

-- Jorgy Ibrahim Murad

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