Govt to ensure people’s safety in holiday season

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Kemacetan Natal Vehicles queue at the Cikarang Utama toll gate of the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road in Bekasi, West Java, at 8:35 p.m. on Friday (21/12/2018). There has been no drastic surge in the number of vehicles passing through this toll gate ahead of the holidays so far.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS -- The government has said that it will ensure people’s safety during the Christmas and New Year holiday season. Apart from maintaining security nationwide, the government will also take preventive measures against potential security disruptions.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said he had ordered the National Police to strive to ensure people’s safety.

“Foster a sense of security among the people,” the President said in his opening speech at a limited Cabinet meeting on Christmas and New Year holiday preparations in his office in Jakarta on Friday (21/12/2018).

Attending the meeting were Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution, Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut B Pandjaitan, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, State Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita and Energy, Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan, Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto and National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian.

The President said that the country was currently relatively safe and that there was no significant security disruptions.

Harmony, tolerance and national unity were also highlighted by the President. He said he had urged all government agencies to anticipate any potential problem that can lead to the undermining of harmony and tolerance.

“We must anticipate for things that may potentially undermine national unity,” he said.

Motorists’ safety

The President has also instructed all ministers to strive to ensure motorists’ safety, security and comfort during the holiday season.

Therefore, Budi Karya said, the government would coordinate with the military, the police and regional heads. A strategy would be arranged to ensure motorists’ safety, including to anticipate traffic jams. This is important as the number of vehicles on the Trans-Java toll road from Merak, Banten, to Pasuruan, East Java, is expected to increase by 15 percent.

“To anticipate traffic jams, we will ban trucks from traveling on toll roads on certain days. We have also requested that all construction projects on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road to cease from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2,” Budi said.

State toll road operator PT Jasa Marga’s data from the Cikarang Utama toll gate as of Friday (21/12) on 9:46 p.m. showed that 65,622 vehicles were leaving Jakarta for Cikampek. National Police traffic corps chief Insp. Gen. Refdi Andri said that the police estimated 90,000 vehicles to leave the capital for Cikampek until Saturday at 6 a.m.

“Thirty percent of the vehicles head toward Bandung. The rest head toward Central Java and East Java,” he said.

A Kompas observation on Friday found that container trucks still traversed the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road. Road constrictions were also found on several spots where there are construction projects. Traffic snarls were seen at the entrances to several rest areas.

Economic boom

The inauguration of the Trans-Java toll road is believed to be encouraging an economic boom across the country. In Semarang, Bank Indonesia (BI) said that cash circulation would increase as access has become easier for holidaymakers from Jakarta and its surrounding areas to cities in Central Java and Yogyakarta. Need for cash in the two provinces during the Christmas and New Year holiday season is expected to reach Rp 13.2 trillion (US$916.71 million).

Tourist areas in Cirebon, Indramayu, Majalengka and Kuningan (Ciayumajakuning) in West Java are expected to be jam-packed with travelers during the holiday season. Ease of access and transportation will be among the major attractive points.

Head of the Ciayumajakuning chapter of the Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (Asita), Andri Hermawn, said in Cirebon that he predicted a 50-percent spike in number of travelers compared to regular weekends.

Head of the Cirebon branch of the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), Imam Reza Hakiki, said he was optimistic that hotel occupancy rates would reach above 90 percent, much higher than the 58 percent on regular weekends. (NTA/WHO/WIN/DKA/E05/E16)