Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi on Thursday chaired a coordination meeting on controlling public mobility during New Year’s Eve at the Central Java Regional Police Headquarters in Semarang city.

“I was assigned by President Joko Widodo to handle the mobility in the holidays period to prevent a spike in COVID-19 cases so that economic activities can continue to run,” he said in a statement received here on Thursday.

He informed that in the province, his ministry will focus on Kalikangkung village, Pangkah sub-district, Tegal district, since a surge in people’s mobility has been projected for the area.

“Hence, I ask the Central Java Regional Police chief to calculate the estimated number of passing vehicles, thus the mobility can be anticipated properly,” he remarked.

Furthermore, the minister urged people who do not have any urgent business to remain at home. If they are required to travel, they must strictly follow the health protocols, he said.

He also asked for a ramp check for tourism buses to maintain their safety.

In addition, he instructed officials to monitor several disaster-prone areas in the province, such as Banjarnegara district and Banyumas district.

Meanwhile, Central Java Regional Police chief, Inspector General Ahmad Lutfi, said that the police have prepared several traffic diversion plans, including one-way flow and contra flow, to anticipate traffic jams on New Year’s Eve or amid the flow of returning travelers.

He also said that the regional police will close town squares, not issue crowd permits, and secure resting areas, in collaboration with the COVID-19 Task Force.

Furthermore, the provincial secretary of Central Java, Sumarno, said that the provincial government will also monitor the implementation of the health protocols at tourism destinations.

According to data from the Indonesia Toll Road Authority (BPJT), the number of vehicles entering Central Java province has increased by 25 percent, while only 10 percent have returned from the province.

After chairing the meeting on Thursday, the minister reviewed public mobility at Semarang Tawang Station and distributed masks to passengers. He also reminded them to remain disciplined in observing the health protocols.

Source: Antara News