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THE PUNCAK, in West Java tourist area is often a magnet for domestic and foreign tourists. Its allure lies in the cool air with a mountain feel and the distance is only about 70 km from Jakarta.
The area located between the foot and slopes of the Gede-Pangrango Mountains and the Jonggol Mountains or often called the Prabu Siliwangi Forest is always crowded with vehicles on weekends, especially during long holidays.
Based on records from the Jabodetabek (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi) Transportation Management Agency (BPTJ) of the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation, the Puncak route, which has a length of around 22.7 km and an average width of 7 meters, should ideally only be filled with 8,800 four-wheeled vehicles on both lanes.
However, the reality is that during weekend holidays, around 15,000-19,000 vehicles, dominated by private cars, spill over this route. Traffic congestion often turns into serious congestion which is also caused by the proliferation of illegal parking, street vendors and illegal buildings.
The myriad of problems in the southern region of Bogor Regency, West Java, made the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism remove the Puncak tourist destination from the list of National Tourism Strategic Areas (KSPN) in 2015.
This policy made the Bogor Regency Government rush to take action. In mid-2016, Cisarua Subdistrict Head Bayu Ramawanto, currently Head of the Bogor Regency Communication and Information Service began carrying out control efforts.
Efforts supported by the Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP) succeeded in dismantling it 200 buildings without permits in the Cisarua Arab Village, consisting of travel agent stalls, money changers, salons and equipment shops specifically for Middle Eastern residents.
Apart from that, the Bogor Regency Government is also relocating street vendors along the Puncak Route, starting from Gadog to the Taman Safari Indonesia intersection. The traders were moved to parking lots, including the Taman Wisata Matahari (TWM) parking area.
Efforts to restore Puncak tourism as a National Tourism Strategic Area continued during the era of Regent Ade Yasin’s leadership in 2019. At that time, the Bogor Regency Government together with the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) formed a joint team to control illegal buildings and eradicate contract marriage activities which were considered to give a bad image to the Puncak tourist destination.
It didn’t stop there, the Bogor Regency Government collaborated with the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation’s BPTJ to create a new traffic engineering as a replacement for the one-way system on the Puncak Route, namely the 2-1 canalization system.
The 2-1 Canalization System is part of the “Save Puncak” program voiced by the local community, namely dividing the Puncak Route traffic flow into three lanes. Two lanes in the same direction, and one lane in the opposite direction according to the applicable time regulations.
However, this traffic engineering system was not continued because it was deemed no more effective than the one-way system which has been implemented for more than 30 years on the Puncak Route.
Still in the Ade Yasin era, the Bogor Regency Government attempted to build the Puncak II Route or commonly called the East Central Axis Route (PTT) to reduce vehicle loads on Puncak Cisarua.
The PTT route design is 49.7 kilometers long, connecting Sentul, Bogor Regency with Cipanas, Cianjur Regency, and 18.5 kilometers long connecting Tanjungsari, Bogor Regency with Green Canyon, Karawang Regency. However, this dream has not been realized considering that the development budget is not enough just from the Bogor Regency APBD or the West Java Province APBD.
Rest area
In 2018, the Bogor Regency Government, at that time, planned to prepare a relocation site to move street vendors en masse in the form of a rest area on the Puncak route, using the Bogor Regency APBD worth IDR10 billion.
However, the budget was not absorbed due to a revision of the detailed engineering design (DED) of the building plan that would stand on land owned by PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII. The DED was revised because the land area was increased, from the previous 5 hectares to 7 hectares.
This additional area increases the number of kiosk capacity, from the original design consisting of 400 kiosks, increasing to 516 kiosks. In 2019, Regent Ade Yasin again budgeted for the construction of a rest area using the Bogor Regency APBD worth IDR15 billion, but this time it was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (KemenPUPR) bringing the total budget to IDR116 billion.
Construction of the rest area began in 2020 with a capacity of 516 kiosks consisting of 100 kiosks for wet food traders, such as vegetables and fruit, and 416 kiosks for dry traders such as souvenirs and snacks. Each stall has an 11-square-meter area, both wet and dry.
Construction was carried out in two stages. The second stage will be carried out in 2021 in the form of fencing the area and building a rest area monument. After completion, in 2023 some traders occupied it, but soon left their stalls because they were quiet.
‘Puncak’ Arrangement
On June 10 2024, the Bogor Regency Government, led by Acting Regent Asmawa Tosepu, held a coordination meeting on the use of the Gunung Mas Rest Area. Asmawa wants to make the relocation of street vendors a momentum for comprehensive structuring of the Puncak area.
Asmawa directly led the control of street vendors in the Puncak area on June 24 despite resistance from some street vendors. Asmawa visited a group of traders who were holding a demonstration right in front of the rest area and had closed the main road. Even though he had dialogue with the traders, Asmawa instructed the Satpol PP officers to disperse the demonstration and continue demolishing the street vendors’ stalls along the Puncak Route.
In controlling these traders’ stalls, the Bogor Regency Government leveled 331 buildings along the Puncak Route, consisting of 181 buildings from the Gantole to the Gunung Mas Rest Area, and 131 buildings from Simpang Taman Safari Indonesia to the Gunung Mas Rest Area.
There are around 160 traders’ stalls remaining that escaped the control because the owners admitted they had permits. However, the Bogor Regency Government is targeting to dismantle hundreds of buildings in the second phase of controlling which will be carried out no later than August 2024 or before the regional head elections are held.
Currently, the Bogor Regency Land and Settlement Housing Service (DPKPP) is reviewing the legality of around 160 stalls, including Warpat and Liwet Asep Straberi, former Rindu Alam.
Asmawa ensures that the economy of street vendors or street vendors in the Puncak tourist area will get better after moving to the Gunung Mas Rest Area.
The Bogor Regency Government has provided various facilities for traders, including making levies free for the next 6 months until December 2024. The Gunung Mas Rest Area Manager PT Sayaga Wisata has even integrated the entrance and exit of the Gunung Mas Agro Tourism with the rest area, so that the traders will be busy with tourists.
Apart from that, the Bogor Regency Government has also waived parking fees for tourist vehicles entering and exiting the Gunung Mas Rest Area because the paid parking system is considered to be the cause of the lack of visitors.
Asmawa Tosepu’s movement reached President Joko Widodo. This was conveyed by PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono to Asmawa when they met at the inauguration of the Cimanggis-Cibitung Toll Road, Tuesday (9/7).
This support eases the burden on the Bogor Regency Government, because the execution of the Puncak Area arrangement does not need to wait until next year through the regional budgeting process. Because the budget is available from the Ministry of PUPR this year.
Asmawa has formulated various comprehensive structuring programs for the Puncak area by gathering OPD leaders. One of the post-control programs for street vendors in the Puncak area is beautifying it by building parks, widening roads, building pedestrians, installing decorative lights, and even fences along the Puncak Route.
The arrangement of the Puncak area also received appreciation from transportation observer Djoko Setijowarno. He wants the momentum of this arrangement to also be used by the Bogor Regency Government in arranging transportation on the Puncak route.
The construction of a public transport route from the Baranangsiang Terminal, Bogor City to the Gunung Mas Rest Area, requires collaboration with BPTJ and the Bogor City Government to realize this route. Because this public transportation route will reduce the volume of private vehicles entering the Puncak Route, especially on weekends.
When public transportation is available, the Bogor Regency Government can provide feeder transportation to rural areas and to various tourist destinations in the Puncak tourist area.
However, it requires strong commitment and determination from stakeholders, both the Bogor Regency Government and the Central Government, to create a Puncak tourist area that is environmentally friendly and comfortable for visitors. [antaranews/photo special]
