The Jakarta Police will administer stern sanctions to motorists who violate traffic regulations during the traditional Idul Fitri eve procession known as takbiran on Thursday evening.
Jakarta Traffic Police chief Sr. Comr. Condro Kirono said Wednesday that aside from issuing tickets, police officers would also turn away revelers traveling together in cars or on motorcycles and direct them homeward, as well as ban them from the city’s thoroughfares.
“We advise people to spend Idul Fitri eve at their local mosques rather than touring around the city in convoys,” Condro told reporters.
He said that in the past such processions had caused accidents and traffic snarls.
Jakarta Transportation Agency recorded that five people were killed in six motor accidents on last year’s Idul Fitri eve.
“During takbiran, we often spot motorcyclists not wearing helmets and passengers riding in pickup trucks or in the back of vans [with the doors open],” he said.
His agency, he added, would deploy 1,000 traffic police officers to monitor 32 major intersections in Greater Jakarta.
“Several platoons of officers from the Jakarta mobile brigade division will help safeguard those spots,” he said.
Those areas are divided into eight regions.
In West Jakarta, police will monitor the areas of Pesing, Grogol, Tomang, Slipi, Stasiun Kota, Olimo and Ketapang intersections, while in East Jakarta, traffic police will be stationed at the Cakung-Cilincing, Utan Kayu, Matraman, Slamet Riyadi, Cawang, Garuda and Raden Inten intersections.
Police will set up special checkpoints at seven key junctions in South Jakarta: Jagakarsa, Fatmawati, Lebak Bulus, Pancoran, Kuningan, Permata Hijau intersections and Jl. Pakubuwono, as well as five in Central Jakarta, including the Senen and Perwira intersections, Adipura monument and the Harmoni and Pintu Besi intersections.
In North Jakarta, police will set up check points at the Bintang Mas and Coca Cola intersections.
The police said they would set up check points on major thoroughfares connecting Jakarta to
its neighboring towns such as Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi on Idul Fitri eve to avoid an anticipated
influx of motorists into Jakarta on the night.
Meanwhile, Traffic Management Center deputy head Comr. Indra Jafar said his center had recorded fewer cars on the roads over the past few days because many residents had left the city to travel to their home towns.
“As of this afternoon, we saw that traffic on several major arteries such as Jl. Gatot Subroto had eased greatly,” Indra said.
Despite the claim, The Jakarta Post observed on Wednesday traffic jams in areas around toll road gates, including those next to the Semanggi traffic cloverleaf.
Deluged streets due to heavy rain in the afternoon also contributed to traffic congestion in several areas, Indra said.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency has forecast that Jakarta may see light to moderate rain everyday from afternoon to evening throughout the Idul Fitri holiday.
The agency also called on residents to mind pot holes hidden by standing water due to flooding.
Separately, City Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said his institution had also prepared officers to safeguard mass prayers, or Ied prayer, held Friday.
“We will deploy our officers to safeguard several mosques used as venues for mass prayers,” he said.
Among those mosques are Istiqlal Grand Mosque, Al Bina Mosque Senayan and Sunda Kelapa Mos-que, all in Central Jakarta, At Tien Mosque in East Jakarta, Al-Azhar Mosque in South Jakarta,
the West Jakarta municipality office and Ibnu Sina Mosque in North Jakarta. (rch)
Idul Fitri prayer schedule in Jakarta
Mosque Khatib (preacher) Sermon title
Istiqlal, C. Jakarta Nursyam n.a.
Al Azhar, S. Jakarta Mas’hadi Sulthani Idul Fitri as a moment for contemplation
At Tien, E. Jakarta M. Maftuh Basyuni Thanking the fruits of freedom
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