Roadblock at British Embassy lifted

JAKARTA: A roadblock on Jl. M. Yamin in Central Jakarta that was erected by the British Embassy was removed Friday after local residents protested.

The public will soon be able to use one of the two lanes in front of the embassy, a city official said Friday.

“The road gates were removed and one lane will be available for the public,” said Soebagyo, an official from the Jakarta Transportation Agency, as quoted by detik.com.

The agency is currently installing a one-meter-tall concrete barrier to separate the road for the public and the embassy. With the removal of the roadblock, vehicles coming from Taman Menteng can go directly to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle through JL. M. Yamin.

“Because we’re currently installing a moveable concrete barrier as the separator, people will temporarily find it inconvenient passing on the road,” said Central Jakarta’s traffic engineering subagency head Muslim.

Earlier this month, Menteng residents staged a protest against the roadblock, which they said restricted access to their own neighborhood. — JP