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Motorcyclists on Sudirman road were diverted to Senopati road as traffic in the direction of the Senayan Roundabout, Jakarta was temporarily closed on the first day of emergency PPKM on Saturday (July 3, 2021). ANTARA/Dewa Ketut Sudiarta Wiguna - 

The Sudirman-Thamrin road bore a deserted look on Saturday, the first day of the implementation of the emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) for controlling the spread of COVID-19.

Police installed barricades at several intersection points on one of Jakarta’s main roads on Saturday to limit the mobility of residents, ANTARA reported from the capital.

Barricades were placed to cut access from Thamrin road to the Hotel Indonesia (HI) roundabout, while the route from Sudirman road to Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) was also temporarily closed, with traffic redirected to the SCBD area, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

The route to the Senayan Roundabout was also barricaded and traffic diverted to Senopati-Patimura roads.

Several police officers, assisted by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), were put on standby at a number of points, including at intersections, including the one on Pintu Satu Senayan road or near FX Sudirman to Sudirman road.

Drivers on Asia Afrika road headed to Sudirman road via Pintu Satu Senayan road were also asked to turn around.

However, officers made exceptions for drivers taking sick residents to the hospital.

A traffic congestion was reported in the area, but officers on duty stepped in to break up the jam.

By 11 a.m. local time on Saturday, there was no traffic congestion on the route from the Sudirman-Thamrin road to the Senayan Roundabout due to traffic restrictions on the first day of emergency PPKM.

Earlier, Jakarta Police had implemented isolation measures at 63 entry and exit points for Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jadetabek) in accordance with the Implementation of the Java-Bali Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM).

"There are 63 points that we are guarding, consisting of 28 points on city limits and toll roads, then 21 points for mobility restrictions in locations prone to violations," traffic director of Jakarta Police, Senior Commissioner Sambodo Purnomo Yogo, said in Jakarta on Friday (July 2, 2021).

The isolation measures were enforced from 12 a.m. WIB on Saturday, with only individuals working in the essential sector allowed to venture outside the home//ANT