August 28, 2024
JAKARTA – With only one week left before the arrival of Pope Francis to Jakarta, the city is finalizing the final stages of its preparations, doing the spade work for logistics while also advising employees to work from home on Sept. 5.
The day, according to the pope’s itinerary, will see the head of the Catholic Church making a trip around the capital city from morning to noon, with road blockades and special convoys to make way for the pontiff’s travel, which is expected to worsen the traffic congestion in and around Central Jakarta.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat Heru Budi Hartono, who also serves as acting Jakarta governor, said on Monday that citizens should preferably stay home on Sept. 5 or use alternative routes that have been prepared by the city administration if choosing to travel.
“The people of Jakarta must be vigilant when choosing their travel routes, and consider that any routes heading toward the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium will likely face heavier traffic,” Heru said in a press conference, as quoted by Antara.
After visiting Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta at 9 a.m., the pontiff will also conduct a Mass at the GBK stadium, where over 70,000 Catholics from all over the country will attend the highly anticipated religious service.
Those planning to attend the Mass have been advised to use public transportation, as the routes around the GBK stadium, which are already typically congested, will see increased traffic with enthused crowds hoping to see the Vatican sovereign.
The Jakarta Transportation Agency, also on Monday, explained that alternative routes for traveling the area had been prepared to avoid further congestion, which is projected to be most felt in Jl. Jendral Sudirman, Jl. Gatot Subroto and Jl. Asia-Afrika. Some roads will also be closed off during the religious Mass.
For example, people seeking to travel from southern to northern Jakarta have been advised to use Jl. Kebayoran Baru, entering Jl. Arteri Pondok Indah before heading to Pejompongan and Wahid Hasyim.
Alternatively, travelers can also use the Jl. Tendean toward the Rasuna Said area.
“That being said, we hope all the same that people with no business in these areas will simply avoid traveling these roads,” Jakarta Transportation Agency head Syafrin Liputo said on another occasion.
Heru said the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police would deploy a special security protocol for the pope’s visit to Indonesia, starting from his arrival on Sept. 3.
A planned route from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to the pope’s temporary residence in Jakarta, to several places included in his itinerary, have been jointly prepared by the TNI and the National Police.
Several roads in Jakarta will be closed off during certain hours, especially during peak traffic hours, but details on the schedule are still incoming, he continued.
“There are several roads and points that, during high-volume hours, will have to be redirected elsewhere. We will publish the map of road diversions in case of extraordinary density during the day”.
According to the Holy See in Rome, the pope will visit the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Wednesday to meet with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, before going to the Jakarta Cathedral to hold audiences with Catholic dioceses.
As the pope’s tour is set to be brief yet packed with visits and public speeches, the government has been stepping up its efforts to ensure the pope’s well-being, as health concerns around the 87-year-old pontiff have only increased in recent years.
The pope has had to rely on a wheelchair for mobility due to a string of health problems, including strained knee ligaments and a hernia. In late March, questions about the pope’s health resurfaced after he skipped a Good Friday service in Rome, prompting prayers for him from Indonesian congregations.
Indonesia will be the pope’s first stop on a two-week-long Asia-Oceania tour, the longest foreign trip involving visits to four countries in the 11 years of his papacy. He is scheduled to leave Indonesia for Papua New Guinea on Sept. 6. After Port Moresby, he will then go to Singapore and Timor-Leste, the Vatican announced in April.