City, police form taskforce to ease congestion

The Jakarta administration and the City Police will form a joint taskforce that will be assigned to ease traffic congestions in areas known for their chronic gridlock.

Governor Fauzi Bowo said Friday a recent meeting involving the city administration officials (Muspida) concluded the city needed a team, consisting of police and the Transportation Agency officers, to direct traffic which usually worsens during rain.

“Nowadays, officers are barely seen in a number of crowded intersections,” he said.

He said the city and the police were teaming up to map the troubled spots, which would be regularly monitored by officers.

“The officers will only take care of the same location, so hopefully when congestion occurs, they are ready to ease the traffic,” Fauzi said.

Newly inaugurated director of Traffic Police Sr. Comr. Royke Lumawa has approved the plan, Fauzi added.
     
He said the taskforce would also have the responsibility to clear up the streets located under overpasses or pedestrian bridges, which were often congested as they were occupied by motorists who took shelter during rain.
 
The taskforce, he said, would take stern actions against illegal on-street parking that also triggered traffic jams. Fauzi said the police would ticket motorists who parked their cars in on-street illegal parking area.