Capital City Move Will Not Diminish Jakarta Traffic Jam, Anies Baswedan Says

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan on Thursday said the city’s notorious traffic congestion will not disappear when the Indonesian central government is moved from Jakarta to East Kalimantan in the future. 

In a Youtube video on January 27, Baswedan said the traffic congestion aspect is driven by household and business activities, which will stay in Jakarta after the capital city relocation. He argues that the manpower and activities supporting the central government are less than 7 percent. 

“It will not affect the traffic jams. It doesn’t make that much of a difference,” said the governor.

Anies Baswedan believes the most important aspect of discussion for Jakartans is not what status the city would hold prior to the move but what needs to be prepared to elevate Jakarta into a world-class city.

“We should now talk about how Jakarta can become a global city that serves global needs,” he said. 

The House of Representatives (DPR) on January 18 passed the State Capital City Act in the 13th Plenary, which will see a city in East Kalimantan as the new capital city, dubbed IKN Nusantara, that will house the country’s central governance, accommodate foreign nations' representatives or organizations. 

Read: Jakarta Gears Up to Be Economic Powerhouse after Losing Capital Status

LANI DIANA WIJAYA