TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said that the government has put its best effort to address or prevent traffic jams along the northern coast (Pantura) highway, particularly the East Brebes toll road.
However, insufficient toll road infrastructures have caused traffic jams to occur.
"Hopefully, we will be able to address [the issue] within two years," President Jokowi said when visiting Banten on Monday, July 4, 2016.
Earlier, reports said that severe traffic jams occurred on the East Brebes toll road causing the traveling time from Jakarta to Tegal had been extended.
Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said that the government had anticipated traffic jams on the newly-inaugurated toll road. However, no measures had been taken to prevent the traffic jams stretching to 20 kilometers at the toll gates.
President Jokowi added that traffic jams that occurred at toll gates were not unexpected, because vehicles must stand in lines to pay the toll tariff, even if the barrier gates had been removed.
ISTMAN M.P.