Indonesians criticise public transport mandate for Jakarta’s civil servants
The civil servants have to take public transport every Wednesday in the capital, which is ranked the world’s seventh most congested city
Jakarta’s top leaders were seen adhering to the mandate, which took effect on Wednesday. Governor Pramono Anung took a bus from his official residence to attend a meeting, while a deputy governor took the subway and bus to reach the Jakarta City Hall, The Jakarta Post reported.
Pramono has said the policy will be enforced, although there are no sanctions for non-compliance currently.
Authorities would be monitoring civil servants who use private vehicles on Wednesdays, according to news magazine Tempo, citing Pramono. Those who ignored the regulation might not find parking for their vehicles, he added.
“The bottom line is if they do not comply, they will definitely have difficulties on their own.”
According to Pramono, the policy applies to about 65,000 personnel, including 45,000 civil servants, with the rest being contract workers.
To enforce the policy, road barriers were placed on the entrance to the city hall to block private vehicles. Three security guards were also assigned to guard the gate.