TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The ongoing demolition of illegal shophouses on Jl. Jatinegara Barat earlier today has caused massive traffic jams on roads leading towards Jatinegara, East Jakarta. The demolition was ordered to reclaim the required land to normalize the banks of the Ciliwung River that winds past the area.
Traffic jams were spotted around the vicinity of Cililitan Wholesale Center (PGC) on Jl. Dewi Sartika. "It stretches for 2 kilometers down the street," said Alfian, a 24-year-old motorcycle rider to Tempo today.
At 10 a.m. Jakarta Time, officials from the Jakarta Transportation Agency opened the lane reserved for TransJakarta buses to private vehicles. "We opened it because of the nightmarish traffic jam in the area," said the official. Despite the agency's best efforts, the traffic jam persisted. The traffic flow is observed to be normal past the demolition site towards Matraman.
The demolition, which began at 7 a.m., involved hundreds of officials including Jakarta public order officers (Satpol PP), the Indonesian Military (TNI), and Jakarta Police. "A combined force of 800 officials were stationed to maintain order around the area," said Jakarta Satpol PP chief Kukuh Hadi at the demolition site.
The district chief of Kampung Melayu Bambang Pangestu said the 13 shophouses had to be demolished because they were illegally built on the banks of Ciliwung River. "These shophouses need to go," he said.
AFRILIA SURYANIS
