PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The Bandung City Government (Pemkot) through the Department of Transportation (Dishub) has placed officers at 42 points prone to traffic jams, this is done as an effort to anticipate traffic jams in the Gedebage area and minimize traffic jams that occur in Bandung City.

Bandung City Regional Secretary (Sekda) Ema Sumarna said that the Bandung City Government continues to strive for various strategies to minimize traffic jams that occur in Gedebage.

Ema said that the traffic jam occurred due to the large number of local and out-of-town tourists visiting a number of infrastructure such as GBLA Stadium, Al Jabbar Grand Mosque, Fast Train and Summarecon making up the Gedebage area.

However, road access to these tourist locations is not commensurate with the volume of passing vehicles, which in fact are crossed by large vehicles.

The short-term solution, continued Ema, is traffic engineering in collaboration with the police who regulate access to and from vehicles in the area.

According to Ema, traffic engineering certainly needs to be carried out with direct direction from the police by regulating entry and exit for vehicles from the Gedebage area.

"For current conditions, the short term strategy is engineering and placing officers," said Ema, Friday (2/2/2024).

Apart from that, there needs to be collaboration between the Bandung City Transportation Agency, Bandung City Police and local police so that traffic continues to flow smoothly in both directions.

The Bandung City Transportation Agency has 200 members who are tasked with controlling traffic spread across 42 traffic jam-prone points in Bandung City.

With the limited number of personnel, handling congestion will be prioritized by shifting some members to traffic management in the Gedebage area.

To regulate, supervise and control traffic in the Gedebage area, the Bandung City Government has created a post for managing 20 personnel per day.

The City Government is collaborating with the police at 5 points, namely at Access 5, Merapi post, Gedebage Raya, Summarecon south entrance, and Derwati.

Apart from that, the Transportation Department also controls and takes action against illegal parking which obstructs traffic flow.

"In Bandung, it has been reported that there are 42 areas prone to traffic jams, of course all of them must be handled. However, our priority can be to shift personnel. If necessary, Linmas will be involved to help smooth traffic," he said.

Personnel are stationed every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11.00 to 23.00 WIB to carry out supervision and traffic control arrangements.

Apart from that, in the medium term, the widening of the southern Gedebage road, continued Ema, must continue to progress because the community has supported it.

"In Gedebage, we are pushing for the widening of southern Gedebage. This road belongs to the province. If the road is widened it can reduce traffic jams and it can connect to Ciwastra. Even though Ciwastra is also heavily congested. But once again that is the province's authority," he said.

The city government also encouraged BBWS to immediately issue recommendations for making the Sector 5 access road across the river, as well as making the bailey bridge to the Al Jabbar Grand Mosque a permanent bridge so that it can withstand the weight of large buses.

Apart from that, the City Government also continues to coordinate and collaborate to encourage Jasa Marga to reopen GT KM 149 and carry out the option of creating an additional gate at KM 151 so that vehicles have road options to enter and exit the Gedebage area.

"The city government never tires of dealing with traffic jams. Regarding the problem of traffic jams, we are sorting out priorities. Hopefully all these efforts can immediately reduce traffic jams in the Gedebage area," he said. (Diskominfo Bandung City/UPI)