Jokowi tours Jakarta on first day in office

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Jakarta | Tue, October 16 2012, 8:51 PM

True to his word to spend most of his time in the field during his tenure, Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo toured the city’s slum areas on Tuesday, his first day in office.

He first visited Pademangan, North Jakarta, then Tanah Tinggi, Central Jakarta, and finally Bukit Duri, South Jakarta.

Jokowi said he had taken notes on the problems that residents in the three areas faced.

Unlike other high-ranking officials who typically use an advanced security escort, there were no motorcycles clearing the traffic in front of Jokowi’s car. There was, however, a security detail trailing behind his car.

Mulyono, a Jakarta Transportation Agency officer who was following behind, said that Jokowi did not have an advanced escort as he had rejected the suggestion.

“We’re here because many agency chiefs come along [with Jokowi], so we only accompany them,” he said as quoted by kompas.com. “We don’t even know where Jokowi will go, so how can we escort him?”

Thanks to the absence of an advanced security escort, Jokowi was forced to endure traffic jams in Tebet, South Jakarta, after visiting Bukit Duri.

Jokowi was therefore forced to cancel plans to eat lunch at the famous Warmo food stall in Tebet and went straight to Jakarta City Hall.

Jokowi said that the experience served as inspiration for him to find a solution to the traffic congestion crippling the city. (han/swd)