Schools in Jakarta are to be closed during the Asian Games to try to help ease the pressure on traffic ©Getty Images

A total of 70 schools are to be closed in Jakarta to help ease traffic congestion during this month's Asian Games, it has been announced.

This is more than double the number that was originally planned. 

Indonesian officials in Jakarta have now extended the closures to include those near other venues that will be used during the Asian Games, Bowo Irianto, acting head of the Jakarta Education Agency, told the Jakarta Post. 

The 70 affected schools will involve around 31,000 students, from pre-school to high school level, who will now be expected to study at home.

Bowo claimed the students will not be missing lessons, as their teachers will still give them tasks as normal.

Traffic commutes next to the newly-completed Asian Games Athletes' Village in Kemayoran district, central Jakarta - it is hoped closing schools during the event will help reduce congestion ©Getty Images
Traffic commutes next to the newly-completed Asian Games Athletes' Village in Kemayoran district, central Jakarta - it is hoped closing schools during the event will help reduce congestion ©Getty Images

The school closures are expected to reduce the time athletes spend to commute to different venues during the Games due to take place between August 18 and September 2.

"We are hoping that this will reduce traffic by between 30 per cent and 40 per cent," Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno said.

Traffic in Jakarta is notoriously bad. 

The Indonesian capital was named the world city with the worst traffic in one index in 2016 based on satellite navigation data, which found the average driver starting and stopping more than 33,000 times in a year. 

An estimated 70 per cent of the city's air pollution comes from vehicles, it is estimated.