Jakartans return to rat race, traffic jams

Severe traffic jams choked several parts of the city on Monday after most Jakartans returned to work from the Idul Fitri holiday break.

Owen Kwanentent, 23, who lives in Sunter, North Jakarta, said the traffic to his office in Kota, West Jakarta, was clogged near the Jakarta History Museum and Mangga Dua shopping center.

“It took me more than half an hour to get to my office. Without traffic jams, it takes me 20 minutes to get to work,” said Owen, who rides a motorcycle.

“I guess I’ll have to start getting used to city traffic again,” he said.

Another resident, Nicholas Setiawan, 23, said he was caught in gridlock in the afternoon.

“I am stuck on my way to the Sarinah Department Store in Central Jakarta from Mangga Dua. It has been more than one hour,” Nico said.

He usually needs 45 minutes to get there without traffic.

Traffic snarls have reportedly taken place in front of Semanggi Plaza, Central Jakarta, heading to Cawang, East Jakarta.

The traffic was congested due to an influx of vehicles passing the area coupled with public transport drivers competing to pick up passengers along the main road.

An 800-meter line of traffic stretched from Jl. Thamrin to Semanggi cloverleaf bridge with the worst traffic jams in front of Plaza Indonesia near the roundabout.

Traffic congestion was also reported along Jl. DI Panjaitan in Central Jakarta heading to Jl. Kalimalang, East Jakarta.

The city’s Traffic Police reported traffic jams on Jl. Lenteng Agung heading to Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta, from Tomang intersection in Central Jakarta to Slipi in West Jakarta, and from Jl. Pramuka to Jl. Salemba in Central Jakarta.

An analyst with the city police’s Traffic Management Center (TMC), Comr. Adhi Santika confirmed that the number of vehicles traversing the city’s streets had returned to normal on Monday.

“We anticipated traffic jams by deploying more police officers in the congestion hot spots during peak hours,” he said, adding that traffic jams were caused by the millions of workers who had returned to Jakarta and started their routines.

“We also anticipate worsening traffic jams on locations, such as Jl. KS Tubun, Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Jl. Thamrin and Semanggi area,” Adhi said. (not)