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Ahok thanks traffic police for ticketing 274 bus lane violators
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Traffic gridlock is seen on one of Jakarta's main roads in peak hour. (KOMPAS/Exclusive)
J
akarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama has expressed his appreciation to traffic police for ticketing 274 motorists who trespassed in dedicated Transjakarta bus lanes on Monday.
The governor is aiming to keep the lanes free for emergency purposes.
“We evaluated the removal [of violators] on the first day, and we found a lack of field officers. We may install gates to optimize the removal,” Ahok said at City Hall on Tuesday.
Despite severe traffic congestion on some thoroughfares, Ahok said clearing the dedicated lanes was crucial to keep evacuation routes free for vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks. Worse traffic would also encourage commuters to leave behind their private vehicles and use public transportation instead, he asserted.
“Most of the violations took place out of the city’s thoroughfares,” Budiyanto, head of law enforcement at the Jakarta Police’s traffic unit, told thejakartapost.com, adding that violators were handed fines of Rp500,000, equal to US$37.5. (dan)
