REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta's largest mosque, provided parking for the motorcycles and cars of those attending Christmas Eve mass at Cathedral Church. "This is a regular practice every year. These parking lots are used by church members to park their vehicles to avoid traffic jams," Dwi, one of the parking attendants, told Antara here on Saturday.

The traffic in the Banteng Square areas, and in the direction from the Cathedral to Juanda and Pasar Baru, central Jakarta, was dense with vehicles creeping bumper to bumper until 9.00 p.m. local time.

Based on observations, cars parked on the roadside in the Istiqlal Mosque area, and along the road to Pasar Baru area, narrowed the roads and contributed to the congestion. Traffic police were busy warning drivers not to drop passengers around the Cathedral, in order to prevent traffic jams. Istiqlal Mosque had reserved parking for those attending mass at the Cathedral.

Christmas services on Sunday (Dec 25) will be held at 06.00 am, 07.30 pm, 09.00 pm, 11.00 pm and 18.00 pm.

Meanwhile, chief of the Public Relations Division of the Central Jakarta Police, Commissioner Suyanto, said a total of 116 joint personnel from the Police, Army and Public Order Unit (Satpol PP) are deployed to secure the area during Christmas Eve Mass services at the Cathedral. "The number of personnel can be increased depending on developments in the field," said Commissioner Suyanto.

He added that the joint personnel will secure the Christmas mass services from Saturday to Sunday. Officers will monitor and supervise the activities around the Cathedral in order to anticipate suspicious actions during Christmas mass services. The police set up metal detectors to check any bags being brought into the Cathedral.

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