Polda Metro Jaya Says Working Hours Arrangement Agreed, Deputy Governor Of DKI Says Still Needs Discussion With Central Government

Jakarta Deputy Governor Riza Patria/PHOTO: Diah Ayu-VOI

JAKARTA - Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta Ahmad Riza Patria responded to the statement by the Traffic Director of the Polda Metro Jaya who said that the arrangement of working hours in Jakarta to relieve traffic congestion had been agreed.

Riza said that the plan for implementing the working hours arrangement was not final. Because, this still needs to be discussed further with the central government.

"This is not only related to Polda Metro Jaya with the DKI Provincial Government, but also related to the central government because in Jakarta there are ministries, central institutions, and so on. This really needs to be discussed, it needs to be discussed," said Riza at the DKI DPRD building. Jakarta, Tuesday, August 23.

Riza confirmed that setting office hours for employees in Jakarta could indeed be a solution in reducing congestion levels. However, this still cannot be decided unilaterally by the local government.

"The suggestion from the Polda Metro Jaya Traffic Directorate regarding working hours is a good thing, but we are still discussing it, we are discussing it. It cannot be unilateral. In principle, the proposal is considered by all of us, in order to reduce traffic jams in the morning," he explained.

Previously, the Director of Traffic of the Polda Metro Jaya, Kombes Latif Usman, stated that the government and businessmen had agreed on the regulation of office hours to deal with congestion in DKI Jakarta.

"We have held a meeting and the results have been agreed by them and we will discuss it again, when it will be implemented," said Latif.

Latif said the meeting involved, among others, the Ministry of Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform (KemenpanRB), the Manpower Office, the Education Office, DPRD, and business associations.

He said the arrangement of working hours was carried out as an effort to reduce congestion by preventing people from doing activities at the same time.

"If they do activities together, they have to hold an apple at 7 am, Jakarta is like being hit by flash floods every day and we downstream must arrange it at the same time," he said.

As is known, the percentage of road congestion in Jakarta currently reaches 48 percent at the time of leaving and returning from work so that it creates an extraordinary density and is uncomfortable for all road users.

"At 07.00-09.00 WIB and coming home from work at 14.00-16.00 WIB, it is at 48 percent. If it is at that number, it is very crowded," he said.

Furthermore, the technical arrangements for the office hours will be handed over to each institution, which will later be coordinated further to break down congestion during peak hours.

"This requires input and advice from all existing stakeholders, so that there is no overcrowding at 6-9 in the morning," he said.