70,752 newcomers flock to Jakarta

JAKARTA. The Jakarta Population and Civil Registration Agency recorded 70,752 newcomers during the post-Idul Fitri influx who accompanied relatives or friends who lived in the city.

The figure is 2.89 percent higher than the 68,763 newcomers in the 2016 post-Idul Fitri influx, agency data shows.

Agency head Edison Sianturi said figures were collected from the Transportation Ministry, the Jakarta Transportation Agency, state-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), state-owned ship operator PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia (Pelni), state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura and state-owned public bus operator PT Damri.

The Jakarta Population and Civil Registration Agency also conducted surveys at several railway stations, bus terminals and airports as well as monitored the situation on the field to see the distribution of newcomers across the city from July 6 to July 17.

Meanwhile, field checks on the distribution of newcomers, locally known as Bina Penduduk (Binduk), will also be held on July 25 by the agency in cooperation with mayors, a regent, district heads, subdistrict heads, community unit heads and neighborhood unit heads, Edison added.

 Other organizations to be involved in the operation are the Jakarta Social Agency, the Jakarta Public Order Agency, the Jakarta Housing Agency, the Jakarta Manpower Agency, the National Police and the military.

The Jakarta Transportation Agency estimates that about 6 million people left the capital city for their hometowns to celebrate Idul Fitri on June 25. (bbn)