Jokowi Said Jakarta Was Congested In The Morning And Evening, Acting Governor Heru: It's Really Congested

Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono (Diah Ayu/VOI)

JAKARTA - Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono responded to President Joko Widodo's statement which saw that Jakarta was always jammed from morning to night.

Heru did not deny what Jokowi said. Congestion in the capital city throughout the day, Heru said, is indeed true.

"Yes, it is a traffic jam," said Heru after attending the inauguration of the installation of the Jakarta Bandung Fast Train (KCJB) and the Jabodebek Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project Caroussel Test at Dukuh Atas LRT Station, Central Jakarta, Friday, March 31.

However, Heru said the government continues to develop public transportation modes by expanding the reach and integration between modes. This is intended to make more people switch to using public transportation.

"That's why this is the concept (LRT). Then the realization (development) of MRT, Transjakarta. Intermodal, which can be combined," said the Head of the Presidential Secretariat.

Previously, Jokowi revealed that the construction of mass transportation in DKI Jakarta had been delayed for about 30 years. This is one of the factors causing traffic jams that occur in the current capital city.

Jokowi said that traffic jams occurred because people had already chosen to use private vehicles for their daily activities.

"In Jakarta, it has been 30 years late, although now there is a MRT but only one route. There is an LRT but it's also not running yet. So if you are in Jakarta in the morning there are traffic jams, afternoon traffic jams, traffic jams at night right now. Because of the delay in building (public transportation)," said Jokowi, Wednesday, March 29.

Jokowi said that the delay in public transportation development was not only in Jakarta, but also in other big cities. Thus, these areas also experience congestion.

"Everyone flocked using private vehicles, finally traffic jams in all cities now, not only in Jakarta. Jakarta, Bandung, Medan, Surabaya, Semarang in Makassar have all jammed because we are late in building public transportation," he explained.