Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama said he will make this Friday, May 1, into a car-free day in anticipation of the huge planned protests set to take place on May Day (also known as International Workers Day).
“We think that it will be more orderly and secure [to make it a car-free day],” Ahok said today as quoted by Tribunnews.
Organizers say some 75,000 workers from various organizations will take to the streets of Jakarta to both protest and party this Friday.
To avoid the traffic that could be caused by such a crowd, Ahok said he will impose car-free day rules on Labor Day covering the usual Car Free Sunday stretch along Jalan Sudirman and Thamrin. However Ahok said that the car-free rules may be extended throughout the entire day, not just the morning, depending on conditions.
If you were planning on leaving Jakarta for the long weekend, best make sure you leave Thursday night or stay well clear of Sudirman on Friday while you try to escape the city.
