Given that many Jakartans aren’t actually from Jakarta, people’s drivers’ licenses (SIM) were often issued outside the capital. This meant that many of the capital’s residents were incredibly inconvenienced by having to go back to their hometowns to extend the validity of their SIMs.
But that is now a thing of the past, at least for people living in Jabodetabek.
The Jakarta Police yesterday launched a new SIM extension service that’s integrated online between Jakarta and its satellite cities. This means that if your SIM was issued in Tangerang, you can now apply for an extension anywhere in Jabodetabek without necessarily having to go back to Tangerang.
“So you don’t have to go back to your hometowns [to extend SIM validity],” said Jakarta Police Chief Tito Karnavian, as quoted by Warta Kota yesterday.
But this online service doesn’t mean you can apply for a SIM extension from the comfort of your own home. You still have to apply at designated SIM registration posts (including the mobile ‘SIM Keliling’ vans) throughout Jabodetabek by bringing your SIM and your KTP ID card.
What about those whose SIMs were issued outside Jabodetabek? Well, the police are currently working on integrating the database from other major cities into the online system. They’re saying that starting next month, SIM holders from other cities will also be able to take advantage of the service.
