Not Riding A Helicopter, Jokowi Reviews Damaged Roads In Lampung By Car

President Joko Widodo left for Lampung from Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport, Jakarta, Friday (5/5/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Biro Press of the Presidential Secretariat)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo inspects the damaged road in Lampung, by car, not by helicopter.

The palace also denied reports that Jokowi was conducting a review of damaged roads, which were friendly to discuss on social media, using helicopters and trail-type motorcycles.

"Only using cars, not using helicopters and not using motorbikes," said Deputy for Protocol, Press and Media of the Presidential Secretariat Bey Machmudin as reported by ANTARA, Friday, May 5.

Previously, Jokowi said he wanted to confirm the truth regarding the information that many roads were damaged in Lampung. Therefore, the president made a working visit to the province.

"I want to make sure, I want to see if the (rustration is damaged) in the video. Is what is in the media true or not true," said Jokowi in Sarinah, Central Jakarta, Thursday (4/5).

Jokowi explained that the government is currently collecting data on badly damaged roads in districts, cities and provinces.

The President believes this happened because the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD), both at the provincial and district and city levels, was not properly allocated for infrastructure development.

The condition of the damaged road in Lampung, precisely at Simpang Randu-Seputih Surabaya, Rumbia District, Central Lampung Regency, has been in the spotlight on social media in recent weeks, after a social activist named Bima Yudho Saputro expressed criticism about Lampung's development.

Bima said Lampung had not made any progress because many roads were damaged. Starting from this content, the man from East Lampung Regency was reported to the police by an advocate. However, the Lampung Police stopped investigating the case because no criminal elements were found.