Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Police (Polri) will deploy 148,884 officers for the 2023 Ketupat Operation, Polri Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo informed on Wednesday. The operation is aimed at securing the exodus and return activities of Indonesian citizens for Eid al-Fitr, which is estimated to fall on April 22, 2023.
He made the statement during a meeting with Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR) at the parliamentary complex here on Wednesday. "This also becomes a special concern for us; thus, we will involve 148,884 personnel whom we will deploy to carry out this operation," he said.
Polri will carry out the Ketupat Operation for 14 days from April 18 to May 1, he informed. In the week prior to the operation, that is from April 10 to 17, Polri has begun carrying out the Improved Routine Activity (KRYD) Operation, which will be conducted again from May 2 to 9.
"If we do not carry it out optimally, potential severe congestion, of course, will occur," Prabowo said. He further said that police will deploy all personnel, including three-star officers, to five control areas that will be the focus of attention.
Those areas are the Banten Regional Police area, the Greater Jakarta Police area, the West Java Regional Police area, the Central Java Regional Police area, and the East Java Regional Police area.
In addition, he said that he has prepared a joint decree (SKB) to prepare and carry out traffic engineering, which includes strategies ranging from contraflow to one-way traffic plans as well as arrangements for crossings at Merak Port and Ciwandan Port. "Currently, it has started to be decided that Ciwandan will be used for two-wheeled and six-wheeled vehicles," he informed.
The police chief emphasized that Polri will evaluate last year's Eid exodus to learn and make improvements in areas that contributed to traffic congestion, including regarding the implementation of contraflow and one-way traffic plans.
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Apart from that, he said, police will also evaluate additions and arrangements for travel delays, as well as recommendations for adding more rest areas or parking areas where exodus travelers can rest. "We will also carry out the free exodus (program), so hopefully, it will be able to reduce congestion," he added.
He expressed the hope that the 2023 Ketupat Operation will run well because it has been predicted that there will be a surge in the number of people taking part in the Eid exodus this year compared to 2022.
