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People go home earlier to avoid traffic chaos
Tanah Abang train station in Central Jakarta was packed with passengers at 2:30 p
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anah Abang train station in Central Jakarta was packed with passengers at 2:30 p.m on Thursday, as many people working in the area chose to go home early to avoid potential chaos on Jl. Merdeka Barat, where the Constitutional Court is located.
The court was delivering its lengthy ruling on the presidential election result suit filed by Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Hatta Rajasa.
Rahmat Salim, an employee of a private company in the Wisma Antara building, about one and a half kilometers from the Constitutional Court, said that he decided to go home after noticing tear gas smoke from his office window.
"I'd rather not take the chance. I'd rather go home now than get stuck in the office if anything happens," Rahmat told The Jakarta Post at the station, adding that he would get off at Serpong station.
He said that his boss had allowed some of his employees to leave the office earlier in the day.
Marsih, a fruit seller in Tanah Abang Market, also chose to return to her home in Parung Panjang, Bogor, West Java, earlier than usual on Thursday, as she was afraid of Prabowo supporters creating chaos in the city.
"I usually go home at 5 or 6 p.m, but today some of the merchants have decided to leave the market earlier," she told the Post.
She said that she did not mind that stopping work at 2 p.m meant that she would not make her normal Rp 200,000 (US$17.20) to Rp 300,000.
"I've only made Rp 110,000 today from the mangoes, bananas and dragon fruit. But that's fine. I can sell more fruit tomorrow," she added. (nvn)
