The Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Police has proposed changing working hours to later in the day, or from the afternoon to night.
The suggestion is targeted at reducing congestion on the streets of Jakarta.
The Directorate of Traffic of the Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Police noted that the traffic rate in Jakarta in the morning reached 54 percent. It is estimated that road congestion, not only in Jakarta, has caused state losses of around Rp71 trillion annually.
In 2021, the congestion level index in Jakarta improved and decreased compared to 2020. Although it is still not legally enforceable, the Traffic Directorate who discussed the proposed working hours system confirmed that the plan is still being discussed.
The police have held two meetings with related teams to discuss the plan for this regulation, on Monday 1st August and then on Friday 5th August last week. The arrangement of working hours for workers in the city of Jakarta to reduce congestion is still a proposal and must be carefully considered.
The police are still discussing the discourse of setting working hours by obtaining input from related parties.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chairperson of the DKI Jakarta Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) Nurjaman, who participated in the discussion, explained that this plan still has to be carefully prepared. Many things must be considered, he counselled.
“The risk is there. Of course, there are things to consider, but not by reducing working hours, seven hours doesn’t turn into five hours,” said Nurjaman.
Another consideration is employee safety.
“Regarding transportation on employee safety, what about the safety of employees coming home at night? Because many of our employees are from Bekasi, Depok, Tangerang, and Bogor. So what are you doing 24 hours a day, don’t let anything unexpected happen,” he concluded.