Day: May 6, 2022

Police officers at Cileunyi toll gate in Bandung district, West Java, are diverting dozens of motorcyclists mistakenly taking lanes headed to Padaleunyi toll road during the return flow of the Eid exodus.

Bandung District Police head, Senior Commissioner Kusworo Wibowo, said that fatigue and failure to observe traffic signs are the most probable reasons for motorcyclists taking the wrong turn.

“After we divert them to the correct direction, we ask them why they are mistaken (driving to the toll road). Some of them said they lose their focus; perhaps they are fatigued,” Wibowo noted at the Cileunyi integrated checkpoint here on Friday.

He said that the mistake can prove dangerous for motorcyclists as, upon realizing their error, they need to cross the road and navigate around speeding cars.

Motorcyclists often take the left lane of the road to avoid speeding vehicles in the central lane, however, because the toll gate is located on the left lane, they fail to break away and get stuck in the stream of cars headed to the toll gate, the police head explained.

Wibowo then urged motorcyclists to pay attention to traffic signs at the Cileunyi intersection close to the toll gate to avoid making this mistake.

“We have also deployed extra officers (at the site). Perhaps the officers are still lacking, but they have been prepared to manage the traffic (in the area),” he said.

He also urged travelers to get enough rest before traveling to avoid loss of focus on the road.

“Travelers who are fatigued must not force themselves (to continue the journey) because (fatigue) may cause road accidents. Please take rest in rest areas or at our checkpoints,” Wibowo remarked.

Source: Antara News

The one-way traffic engineering scheme may be implemented for 24 hours on May 6–8, 2022. Head of the National Police’s Traffic Corps, Inspector General Firman Shantyabudi, conveyed the information in a statement issued on Friday.

He appealed to travelers to find alternative routes rather than waiting for the road to be reopened at the toll gate.

He advised people to use the arterial roads in the evening or the night since the local community’s activities would start to decline at the time, making the roads less crowded.

Still, the police will assess the real traffic situation before deciding to apply the traffic engineering scheme for 24 hours, he added.

Furthermore, the official urged the public to monitor the traffic engineering schedule through the National Traffic Management Centre’s (NTMC’s) social media, running texts on television broadcasts, as well as announcements from state-run road operator Jasa Marga.

“Hopefully, the traffic is not too crowded, thus perhaps we can make a relaxation by opening one lane (for travelers headed in the reverse direction of the one-way scheme),” he remarked.

He launched the one-way scheme for the 2022 Eid al-Fitr returning traffic at the Kalikangkung Toll Gate, Central Java, on Friday afternoon.

The inauguration was also attended by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, and Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono.

“Starting today, we will continue to anticipate the peak of the Eid al-Fitr returning trip (which is projected to occur) on May 6, 7, and 8, 2022,” Shantyabudi said.

He also asked travelers to refrain from entering the rest areas if they are full. Officers will inform them of the situation and direct them to the next rest area.

“Except for those who are really tired, do not force yourself,” he added.

Source: Antara News

Member of Jakarta Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) Syarif praised the Jakarta authority’s decision to not crack down on non-residents of Jakarta arriving in pursuit of new means of livelihood in the capital city.

“It is better to make Jakarta an open city. Everyone must get the opportunity, yet the access must be everyone’s responsibility,” Syarif noted here on Friday.

The DPRD Commission D legislator emphasized that newcomers migrating to Jakarta should not be perceived as a burden, but rather, viewed as a potential to develop the city.

The central government must also help regional authorities address urbanisation issues, he noted.

“This is not only Jakarta authority’s (responsibility), but the central government must also address the issue. Residents that are migrating to Jakarta means that the problem is in their regions of origin, for which the responsibility (to address the issue) is not solely in Jakarta’s hands,” Syarif remarked.

Earlier, Jakarta provincial Population and Civil Records Office head Budi Awaluddin remarked that Jakarta welcomes migrants seeking a new means of livelihood in the capital city.

“We will not crack down on residents, who migrate to Jakarta, as Jakarta belongs to all Indonesians, and everyone can work in Jakarta,” he affirmed.

The provincial authority will allow arriving migrants to register their arrival in Jakarta by presenting a report to their community unit (RT) head, he noted.

According to the provincial authority’s data, a noticeable decline in migrants’ arrival in Jakarta was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020-2021 period.

Some 113,814 migrants arrived in 2020 and 138,740 in 2021, declining from 169,778 migrants recorded in 2019.

The provincial authority estimated that 20 thousand to 50 thousand newcomers will arrive in Jakarta after the 2022 Eid homecoming period as the COVID-19 cases are increasingly coming under control. Jakarta will also record an additional immigrant population of up to 180 thousand people in 2022.

Source: Antara News