Epidemiologists Deem Odd-Even Policy During PPKM Useless

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia, Pandu Riono, said the implementation of the odd-even policy for four-wheeled vehicles in Jakarta has no relevance to the level 4 public mobility restrictions or PPKM Level 4 which was enforced until August 16. 

“Either odd-even traffic policy or such, they are the same. They have no benefit,” Pandu told Tempo on Thursday, August 12.

According to him, the government should educate the public about regulations in the PPKM Level 4, instead of permitting vehicles to travel.

The PPKM Level 4 was aimed at reducing people’s mobility. When it was relaxed through the traffic policy, that meant the public was allowed to conduct outdoor activities.

People, Pandu said, must stay at home. Only those working in certain sectors and MSMEs players were allowed to carry out outdoor activities. “Those rules must be disseminated [to the public] unless the severity level has been dropped.” 

Pandu opined the odd-even traffic policy might provide a wrong signal or wrong response to the public.

An epidemiologist from Griffith University Australia, Dicky Budiman, also believed that the traffic policy was not effective although Jakarta has exited the critical phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. “What's appropriate is strengthening 3T (Testing, Tracing, Treatment), isolation, quarantine, and finding active cases,” said Dicky on Thursday, August 12.

Read: Govt Discloses Covid-19 Improvements from PPKM Level 4 in Java-Bali

ENDRI KURNIAWATI