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Jakarta Police cling to staggered working hours plan despite skepticism
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Vehicles head toward the city center during the morning rush hour in Jakarta on Nov. 30, 2022. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
T
he Jakarta Police have continued to advocate for staggered working hours to alleviate Jakarta's perennial traffic woes, even after failing to convince workers and employers to alter their schedules last year.
Asked about his strategy to address traffic in the capital on Monday, Jakarta Police traffic director Sr. Comr. Latif Usman said he was still waiting for the Jakarta administration’s decision on staggered working hours.
"It is a good program aimed at having the public move more safely and comfortably in the city. That's why authorities are conducting research and evaluation on its feasibility," Latif said, as quoted by Antara.
In May, acting Jakarta governor Heru Budi Hartono suggested that private office workers divide their start times between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., claiming that the adjustment could reduce morning traffic by at least 30 percent.
The Jakarta Police proposed a similar scheme in July of last year, suggesting that some office workers start at 10 or 11 a.m. or even come to their workplaces in the afternoon or night.
Read also: Staggered work hours offered yet again to ease Jakarta gridlocks
The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) and the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) both opposed the plans, claiming that such arrangements would disturb the biological rhythms of employees and reduce their productivity at work. They also claimed that shifting working times just a few hours apart would have little impact on traffic.
