JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The regulated blackouts threaten the survival of small industries. The traffic flow in Jakarta is also chaotic due to non-functioning traffic lights. Lately, 9 to 15 traffic lights are off almost everyday.
"Since Sunday, traffic lights in Jakarta take turns to stop functioning. In every area, at least one to five traffic lights aren't functioning. The cause of this is the regulated blackout, but some are out of order," said Second Police Inspector Adjutant Aritonang, the traffic surveillance camera officer (for closed circuit television/CCTV) of the Jakarta Regional Police Traffic Directorate (Ditlantas), Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Ditlantas' CCTVs captured at least the 11 inoperative traffic lights. The non-function lights were around Fatmawati, Joko Sutono, Kostrad, and Ulujami in South Jakarta. And also on the Relasi crossroad (West Jakarta, Koja Bogasari crossroad, Jembatan Tiga, and Enggano (North Jakarta).
The traffic lights were also off around Kebon Singkong, in front of Citra mall, and around Halim Perdanakusuma (East Jakarta). The traffic worsens because some people got down some crossroads and intersections to try to regulate the traffic.
On Ulujami and Kostrad for example, last Tuesday, every intersection or crossroad were regulated by the locals. Motorists paid Rp. 500 to Rp. 1,000 to gain a chance to turn.
Raising Costs
The wasted energy due to regulated blackouts is also affecting hotel businesses. The head of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurants Association (PHRI), Krishnadi, Wednesday, said that the cost to operate a generator is twice the normal electricity cost on the same period of time.
Aside from that, not all hotels in Jakarta have sufficient generators to supply power to all the electric appliances. "The price of a large-capacity generator is billions of Rupiah," said Krishnadi.
General Chairman of PHRI, S.B. Wiryanti Sukamdani said that approximately 75 percent of hotel appliances are powered by electricity. A hotel management is very dependant on electricity.
A call to save energy
The people are pressing for a solution for the electricity problem. Purnomo Willy, the General Manager of the State-owned Electric Company (PLN) for Jakarta and Tangerang distribution, answered that the main power plant of Balaraja in Tangerang Regency can now substitute the one in Kembangan that's out of order. And also the Muara Karang Gandul power plant can now be repaired. Meanwhile the repair for the Cawang main power plant will be finished on December.
The Balaraja power plant can prevent blackouts in West Jakarta and Tangerang. "If there was a blackout in West Jakarta then it would just be a temporary disturbance, it wouldn't be a regulated blackout," said Purnomo.
Assistant to the city secretary for the economy, Mara Oloan Siregar suggests large-scale electric customers, such as the managements for malls, hotels, industries, and government offices, to reduce their electric usage during day time. The conservation would help reduce the regulated blackouts. (NEL/ART/ECA/C17-09)
