Jokowi Ensures That The Government Immediately Repairs Severe Damaged Roads In North Sumatra, Including Labuhanbatu

President Joko Widodo conducted a review of the condition of the Gunting Saga road in North Labuhanbatu Regency, Wednesday (17/5/2023). ANTARA/HO-Laily Rachev - Press Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo conducted a review of the damaged road in North Labuanbatu Regency, North Sumatra, on the sidelines of his working visit.

The President stated that the government would soon repair damaged roads in North Sumatra.

"This is what we (the government) will fix soon, repairs will begin in the field no later than July," Jokowi explained in his statement quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 17.

Jokowi received reports that the national road in North Sumatra has a total length of about 2,600 kilometers, with 260 kilometers of which damaged.

Meanwhile, provincial roads have a total length of 3,005 kilometers, with 340 kilometers of which are damaged.

As for district roads, of the total length of 33,000 kilometers, 13,000 kilometers of which were damaged, one of which was in North Labuanbatu, which today was reviewed by the President.

"There are 13 kilometers, then there are 17 kilometers to Tanjung Leidong with the same situation as this," he said.

The President said that the construction of repairing all damaged roads in North Sumatra would be divided among the central government for national roads to the governor for provincial roads, and district/city roads by the regent.

However, there will also be improvements to provincial and district/city roads whose work is taken over by the central government, if the governor and regent do not have the ability.

"Some are taken over by a center that is roughly provinces, districts or cities that do not have the ability," he explained.

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Jokowi said repairs took time because roads were damaged in North Sumatra quite a lot.

"And not only in North Sumatra. Don't think only in North Sumatra, in other provinces it is less and more similar," he said.

The President himself claimed to have received reports of damaged roads from the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, as well as reports from the public via social media. Based on observations from video shows, when the road review was damaged, the President stopped and got out of the car to see firsthand the road damage and then gave a press statement to the media crew. The damaged road condition reviewed by the President appears to be sandy soil with holes and inundation is quite large at several points. SUV type vehicles the President is traveling in must run slowly when going through puddles.