The Jakarta Metro Police today launched a massive traffic operation — the first during the pandemic — to catch traffic offenders.
Police in the capital intensify traffic operations on a seasonal basis, with this one being named Operation Patuh Jaya. The operation is set to run until Aug. 5.
Unlike previous operations, this year’s Operation Patuh Jaya will not involve police checkpoints because of the pandemic.
“We are not setting up checkpoints because we were worried that would involve people crowding [at checkpoints],” Jakarta Traffic Police Director Sambodo Purnomo Yogo said.
Instead, traffic police officers will be patrolling the capital’s roads to issue tickets and fines to offenders on the spot.
In addition, Jakarta’s Electronic Traffic Law Enforcement (ETLE) system is being reactivated after the program was paused since the start of the pandemic.
Tens of thousands of traffic offenders are regularly ticketed or fined in the capital’s previous traffic operations, which last around two weeks each, but experts say they have proven to be inefficient and a waste of money.
