Bandung, Indonesia Sentinel.com — The central and regional governments are collaborating to prepare for the arrival of the world’s Catholic leader, Pope Francis, in Jakarta on September 3-6, 2024. The leader of the state and the Holy See of Vatican will come to Indonesia as part of his apostolic visit to the Asia Pacific region.
The purpose of Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia is not only related to state affairs but also a spiritual agenda, one of which is to attend the grand mass at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK) on September 5, 2024.
Acting Governor of Jakarta, Heru Budi Hartono, has advised residents to be mindful of potential traffic congestion during the mass with Pope Francis. The mass, scheduled to start at 5:00 PM local time and last for about 1.5 hours, is expected to be attended by at least 86,000 Catholics, which potentially result in heavy traffic in the surrounding areas.
Adding to the potential for congestion, another large event, the International Sustainability Forum (ISF), will also take place on the same day at the Jakarta Convention Center, located within the GBK complex.
“I urge everyone to be aware of the significant events happening on September 5, 2024. It’s important to plan your routes carefully if you need to travel to or near the GBK area,” said Heru during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday, August 26, 2024.
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Jakarta’s Head of the Transportation Agency, Syafrin Liputo, also advised people to avoid the Senayan area, particularly Jl Jenderal Sudirman, Gatot Subroto, Gerbang Pemuda, and Jl Asia Afrika. He also menstioned that some alternative routes have been prepared to avoid the traffic on September 5, 2024.
For those coming from the south to the north can take the routes from Jl Kebayoran Baru, then entering Jl Arteri Pondok Indah, making a U-turn onto Jl Teuku Arif, and continuing to Jl Tentara Pelajar, leading to Pejompongan, Jl Wahid Hasyim, and Jl Mas Mansyur.
Another alternative route is to take Jl Kapten Tendean towards the Kuningan area via Jl H.R Rasuna Said.
In Addition, the government also advised people who do not have activities in the Senayan area to refrain from going there during the grand mass and ISF event, while also advising workers to take WFH.
“We encourage residents to consider working from home (WFH) independently to avoid the inevitable increase in transportation and traffic congestion on that day” Heru Added.
(Raidi/Agung)
