Visitors To The Yogyakarta Gumaton Are Limited To 250 Thousand People On New Year's Eve

Jogja/UNSPLASH/Angga Kurniawan Monument

YOGYAKARTA - Yogyakarta Special Region Police Chief Inspector General Suwondo Nainggolan said the number of visitors in the Tugu, Malioboro, and the Yogyakarta Palace (Gumaton) areas would be a maximum of 250 thousand people on New Year's Eve 2024.

Suwondo said the restrictions were to prevent visitors from being too crammed along the area.

"It should not be too crowded. At the same time, if you are at that location, the maximum is 250 thousand (people)," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, December 28.

The number of visitors in the Tugu, Malioboro, to the Yogyakarta Palace area, he said, would be calculated and analyzed "real time" using CCTV which is connected to the "Yogyakarta Smart City" technology installed at a number of points.

If the number of visitors has approached the maximum specified limit, according to Suwondo, people who want to enter the area will be diverted to celebrate New Year's Eve in other areas.

"We have a database that can follow up, to prevent entering the area," he said.

In addition to being able to calculate the number of people and vehicles, this technology is able to map visitors by gender.

Suwondo said that the smart camera technology is currently in the trial period in the Malioboro area and will be inaugurated in early January 2024. "But this can be used," he said.

Dirlantas Polda DIY Kombes Alfian Nurizal explained that when the maximum capacity in the area has been achieved, visitors will be transferred to the Sleman and Bantul areas which also have various New Year celebration events.

"We are diverting it to the Sleman, Bantul or other tourism areas. Maybe there are concerts, live music, fireworks, and so on," he said.

In order not to enter the "Gumaton" area, explained Alfian, from the North Ringroad visitors will be directed to the Kaliurang area or can continue their journey to the Prambanan area.

"For those who go south in the Bantul area (directed) to Parangtritis and so on," he said.

To ensure the number of visitors, Alfian said that currently CCTV has been installed with Smart City technology in 17 locations along the Tugu, Malioboro, to the Yogyakarta Palace.

On New Year's Eve, according to him, the Malioboro area will be subject to a "car free night" or a vehicle-free night starting at 18.00-01.00 WIB, as well as in the Yogyakarta Tugu area starting at 22.00 WIB.

In addition to preventing the area from crowded, "car free night" is expected to suppress exposure to CO2 or motor vehicle carbon smoke.

"Of course we evaluate where for last year's turn in Tugu and Zero Point, especially the jostling between people who are holding mats that have prepared and also together with users of two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles," said Alfian.