Ancol general manager Sunarto explained some changes that will be applied for three days from June 16 to 18: “This year, cars exiting Ancol will be directed to Kemayoran,” said Sunarto during a press conference at Putri Duyung cottage in Ancol, North Jakarta, on Wednesday. He added that the newly applied system aims to avoid traffic congestion inside and outside the park.

A special hotline number (call +62 8788 2222 422) will be available for visitors, along with Ancol's customer care number, for questions. “We aim to add more communication channels if visitors have any suggestions or comments,” Sunarto said.

Furthermore, the park management will also prepare areas for visitors in shelters of Wara Wiri Bus and Sato Sato train, two vehicles available to explore the park. “We hope visitors will be more disciplined in lining up and waiting for the vehicles to come,” said Sunarto. “It is needed so they can reach their destinations quickly.”

Ancol will prepare at least 30 staff members wearing bright orange polo shirts. They will man the Wara Wiri bus stops, Sato Sato train stations, the Transjakarta bus stop near Ancol, parking areas and other crowded spots, and are responsible for answering any queries from visitors.

Similar to last year, Ancol will still implement a central parking system from the eastern area at Carnaval Beach to the western area at Fantasy World (Dufan). It will provide nine parking lots for cars with a total capacity of over 12,000 vehicles and around six parking areas for motorcycles with a total capacity of over 17,000 motorcycles.

The central parking system will be applied starting from 5 a.m. on June 16 to 12 a.m. on June 18. On June 16 from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., for instance, cars will be guided to the Carnaval and Marina entrance gates first to fill up the parking lots there. Meanwhile, motorcycles will be directed to the east entrance gate (near Ancol Mansion) and the west entrance gate (near Hailai and Ecovention).

Read also: Jakpost guide to Ancol

Passengers wait for the Wara Wiri bus in Ancol Taman Impian, North Jakarta, on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2017. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

On the same day and at the same hours, drivers exiting Ancol can go to west gate near the Ecovention, the south gate near the Art Market and Carnaval gate, while motorcyclists can direct their vehicles to the east gate (near Ancol Mansion), south gate (near the Art Market) and west gate (near  Ecovention).

Those who want to explore the park can use Wara Wiri Bus, which will operate for 24 hours. The bus route is divided into south and north areas. The Bravo bus will cater to passengers in the south area, and the shelters are located near Dufan, Ecovention, Lumba-Lumba Park and Gondola. Meanwhile, the Alfa bus will serve passengers on the north area with bus stops at Gondola, Beachpool, Bende and Carnaval. Buses for disabled people are also available.

Furthermore, four Sato Sato trains will be provided with a total capacity of 130 passengers. Operating for 24 hours every 15 minutes, the stations are located near Dufan, SeaWorld, east entrance gate, Beachpool and Carnaval.

Ancol will also add more facilities compared to last year, including 20 portable toilets, 10 musholla (prayer rooms), three ambulances with 42 medical teams, 600 trash bins, 189 security guards, 37 lifeguards, 96 tour guides for Wara Wiri buses and 14 tow trucks to tow cars parked outside the parking areas. “We have an area for cars that are not parked in the provided spots,” said Sunarto.

Paul Tehusijarana, director of Ancol Taman Impian, said it was possible for the central parking system to continue depending on the situation. “The system will be in effect for at least three days, […] so if Ancol is still crowded in the following days after June 18, the system will still be applied,” Paul said.

Ancol also has teamed up with the National Police, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Jakarta Transportation Agency (Dishub) for security during the holidays. “But we’ll still keep the balance between safety and comfort,” Paul said. (wng)