he closure of Jl. Jatibaru Raya in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, was the result of maladministration, the Ombudsman declared on Tuesday.
“From our field inspection, we concluded that the road closure policy was an act of maladministration. According to the prevailing laws on roads and traffic, roads are meant for public use, not for other purposes, such as selling, as what is happening today,” said Dominikus Dalu, head of the Ombudsman’s Jakarta office, referring to Law 28/2004 on roads and Law 22/2009 on traffic and transportation.
Dominikus added that the Ombudsman would also take into account Gubernatorial Instruction No. 17/2018 on the Tanah Abang traffic arrangement, which was used as the basis of the road closure.
The instruction was issued on Feb. 6, almost two months after Jl. Jatibaru Raya was closed to accommodate street vendors.
Ombudsman officials conducted on Tuesday morning an inspection of Jl. Jatibaru Raya and nearby streets with Adj. Sr. Comr. Budiyanto, head of the Jakarta Police’s traffic unit, after receiving complaints from the public.
The inspection was part of the Ombudsman’s plan to submit several recommendations to the city administration, which it would do next week at the latest.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan instructed the closure of Jl. Jatibaru Raya in December to allow hundreds of street vendors to occupy the road.
Vehicles are barred from passing through the area from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., leaving commuters no choice but to use the TransJakarta’s Tanah Abang Explorer buses. (jlm)
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.