Security measures during Christmas 2022 and New Year 2023 through Operation Candle to guarantee safe and smooth public mobility will produce optimum effect if all parties work in synergy.
By
Kompas Team
·6 minutes read
FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN
TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono and National Police Chief General (Pol) Listyo Sigit Prabowo (left to right) observe the preparations of their members for Operation Lilin in the Monas area, Central Jakarta, Thursday (22/12/2022).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The preparedness to face security frictions such as terrorist attacks and public mobility disturbances such as traffic jams receives special attention in safeguarding Christmas and New Year holidays. The 166,000-strong joint personnel will be on the move to ensure the safety and smooth flow of the year-end holiday activities.
Operation Candle will last from Friday (23/12/2022) to Tuesday (3/1/2023). Apart from the National Police (Polri) and the Indonesian Military (TNI), the institutions that will work in synergy in this operation are the Health Ministry, the Transportation Ministry, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, regional administrations and other stakeholders.
National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo said Operation Candle to safeguard the Christmas and New Year period would have optimum results by way of synergetic action of all relevant parties. Interagency cooperation is needed to guarantee safe and smooth public movement during the year-end period.
Command posts
The police have set up three command posts, security, service and integrated posts, in a number of locations with high rates of mobility and vulnerability to accidents. There are a total of 1,845 security posts, 695 service posts and 89 integrated posts.
“These posts are certainly to ensure the security of Christmas and New Year mobility so that people will feel comfortable and safe. Therefore, I request all sectors and stakeholders to anticipate any disturbance and problem during the Christmas and New Year period,” Listyo said at a roll-call of Operation Candle in the National Monument zone, in Central Jakarta, on Thursday (22/12).
Previously, TNI commander Admiral Yudo Margono, after a briefing at the Navy headquarter on Wednesday, said the TNI had prepared 25,000 soldiers to assist Polri in welcoming Christmas 2022 and New Year 2023. The TNI has prepared personnel from the Regional Military Command, the Main Naval Base and the Air Force Operational Command to support Polri at any time, particularly in vulnerable areas.
FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN
Hundreds of members of government institutions took part in the Operation Lilin ceremony ahead of Christmas and the 2023 New Year in the Monas area, Central Jakarta, Thursday (22/12/2022).
The TNI has also prepared hospital ships at any time. There are six landing ship tanks to transport people if the state shipping company Pelni’s vessels break down. “Under current natural conditions, I’ve also ordered military units to stand by for search and rescue attempts,” said Yudo.
Lampung Regional Police chief Insp. Gen. Akhmad Wiyagus said his force was readying security posts in crowded locations. Among the locations he meant are churches, tourist spots, economic centers as well as events to mark the turn of the year.
Wiyagus added that all places of worship for Christmas in Lampung had been cleared from hazards by joint personnel, including a team from Counterterrorism Detachment 88. Various elements in society, including religious organizations, are also involved in the Christmas security operation.
Separately, Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi appealed to all building management for places of worship to optimize the function of their security officers. This is meant to heighten the control of places of worship and keep an early lookout for anything in their surrounding.
The management of churches or other places of worship should also take tight security measures through the screening of visitors by the use of metal detectors. “Churches are expected to install barriers at a safe enough distance from entrances,” Eri said.
For better safety, he added, churches could devise a digital registration for congregations wishing to attend worship. This digital registration is meant to facilitate data and control over the numbers of congregation members.
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, after attending a roll-call of the Christmas 2022 and New Year 2023 Transportation Force at Gambir Station on Thursday, called for maximizing railway operational hours. This is based on the consideration that the number of railway passengers during the Christmas 2022 and New Year 2023 period is predicted to increase by 27 percent compared with the previous year’s holiday period.
FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN
An officer monitors passenger movements on one of the CCTVs connected to the monitor of the Christmas and New Year Integrated Post at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten, Tuesday (20/12/2022).
Health protocols
Despite the absence of mobility curbs, Budi Karya indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic was not yet over. For this reason, he asked the officers on duty at all railway stations to maintain their strict adherence to health protocols.
Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono said new COVID-19 cases in China were on the rise. However, results of surveillance in Indonesia have shown a decrease in several regions.
“That’s why we will evaluate the implementation of the PPKM (public activity restrictions). Today, tomorrow or next week we will submit our input to the President,” Dante said.
He called on the public who were planning to travel before Christmas and New Year to stay healthy and always comply with health protocols. The public was also asked to get a booster vaccination in order to maintain the low-level of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia.
Traffic engineering
The Jasamarga Metropolitan Tollroad operator is preparing traffic engineering in the Jagorawi Toll section. This move is executed by opening several functional toll roads during the Christmas and New Year period, from Dec. 18, 2022 to Jan. 8, 2023. The management also makes ready additional personnel and mobile payment machines at checkpoints predicted to give rise to congestion.
Regional division head of Jasamarga Metropolitan Tollroad, Widyatmoko Nursejati, said traffic was engineered by operating several temporary sections, such as the opening of the Darangdan Toll access at Kilometer 99A of the Cipularang Toll section, the temporary opening of the Kutanegara-Sadang Toll route and the opening of the emergency access at Km 148A of the Cileunyi Toll section.
Especially for the Kutanagara-Sadang section, its operational permit is still pending a decision by the Toll Road Regulating Agency (BPJT) on the feasibility of the section’s opening as an alternative route. The section will be opened on a situational basis by viewing the condition of congestion.
The Darangdan Toll access will be opened if roads leading to Purwakarta and West Bandung regencies become congested. This section will only be allowed to group one non-bus and non-truck vehicles.
Meanwhile, the plan to open the Kutanegara-Sadang route, which is pending approval from the BPJT, will be realized if congestion at Km 66 of the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll road to Km 70 of the Cikarang Utama Toll road lasts one hour.
Apart from that, this alternative section will be operated in the case of congestion along 5 km of the Kalihurip Utama Toll Gate. (Z03/Z09/Z11/Z15/EDN/VIO/ETA)
