J

akarta Police’s traffic division chief Sr. Comr. Halim Pagarra said on Sunday that he welcomed the city administration’s plan to reopen traffic on Jl. Jatibaru in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta.

The administration closed the street, which passes a busy market district and a major train station, late last year to make way for street vendors to sell their wares. It only allowed Transjakarta buses to use the street. “It’s good. It means that [the administration] has followed my recommendation,” he said as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.

The closure of the street has caused controversy for months. While Tanah Abang market customers supported the new traffic arrangement, motorists complained about worsening congestion in the area. Public minivan drivers staged protests demanding the reopening of the street, claiming they had experienced declining revenues.