2005: Tough year for motorists and commuters alike<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Throughout 2005, the passage of motorists and commuters on many
\nof Jakarta's streets has often been disrupted by transportation
\nprojects that only worsen traffic congestion.<\/p>\n
Those traveling from Pulogadung bus terminal in East Jakarta
\nto Kalideres in West Jakarta, for example, are obviously
\nfrustrated by the construction of busway corridor II from
\nPulogadung to Harmoni in Central Jakarta and corridor III from
\nHarmoni to Kalideres.<\/p>\n
Travelers from Lebak Bulus or Pondok Indah in South Jakarta to
\nSenayan or Palmerah in Central Jakarta have to deal with traffic
\ncongestion created by the construction of the Kebayoran Lama
\nunderpass.<\/p>\n
Even the monorail project has been a headache for commuters in
\nthe capital. PT Jakarta Monorail, which was awarded the project,
\nhas started construction on Jl. Casablanca and Jl. Rasuna Said in
\nSouth Jakarta and Jl. Asia Afrika in Central Jakarta. Very often,
\nconstruction work worsens traffic jam in the areas.<\/p>\n
All of this construction is aimed at improving the flow of
\ntraffic and creating a comfortable and convenient transportation
\nsystem in the capital.<\/p>\n
If past experience serves as a guide, one can say that the
\nsuch projects may not always resolve the city's notorious traffic
\njams. A case in point is the Pondok Indah underpass. The project
\nwas undertaken to ease traffic bottlenecks at a busy intersection
\nin Pondok Indah, but congestion remains even though the underpass
\nis already in use.<\/p>\n
Head of Jakarta Transportation Agency Nurachman admitted that
\nthere was no significant improvement in the transportation sector
\nthis year as many of projects were long-term projects.<\/p>\n
"We should be patient because it takes time to resolve
\ntransportation problems. We hope that things will be better next
\nyear as several projects are expected to be completed, including
\nbusway corridors II and III," said Nurachman recently.<\/p>\n
Transportation experts have long advised the city to develop a
\nmass rapid transit system that includes a subway, railways,
\nmonorails and a busway in order to resolve chronic traffic
\ncongestion in the capital.<\/p>\n
Transportation experts argue that a mass rapid transit system
\nnot only provides better service to urban travelers but is also
\nmore environmentally friendly.<\/p>\n
The presence of comfortable, reliable, affordable and safe
\nMRTs, they argue, is expected to encourage private car users, who
\nare dominating Jakarta's streets, to shift to public
\ntransportation.<\/p>\n
Keeping private cars off the streets would ease traffic jams
\nand reduce air pollution in the capital, which is the World's
\nthird most polluted city after Mexico City and Bangkok.<\/p>\n
According to environmentalists, 70 percent of air pollution in
\nthe capital is due to vehicular emissions.<\/p>\n
The number of private vehicles running in the capital has
\nreached around four million, while the number of public
\ntransportation vehicles is less than 100,000.<\/p>\n
The city administration has actually drawn up several public
\ntransportation projects aimed at resolving traffic congestion in
\nthe capital. These include busway or bus rapid transit (BRT),
\nsubway, commuter train and monorail.<\/p>\n
It seems, however, the city administration is focusing its
\nattention on the development of busway corridors. Currently, the
\ncity only operates 75 buses along the 12.9-kilometer corridor of
\nthe first BRT from Blok M to Kota.<\/p>\n
The buses are considered to have met the minimal standards of
\npublic transportation, that is they are secure, safe, reliable,
\naffordable and comfortable for passengers.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso, who seems to be bent on being crowned as
\nJakarta's father of transportation, has said that the city would
\ngo ahead with its public transportation projects, particularly
\nits busway program. He asserted that his busway project was a
\nsuccess in terms of providing commuters with better public
\ntransportation.<\/p>\n
"We are on the right tract. I believe that our busway project
\nis the solution to the transportation problems, But we must be
\npatient," said the governor recently.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso's seriousness in the development of the busway
\nproject was seen in the increase in the budget allocations for
\nthe project. The city allocated some Rp 140 billion (US$14
\nmillion) in 2004 as compared to Rp 510 billion in 2005, and he
\nhas proposed Rp 876.70 billion for the four busway corridor
\nprojects in 2006.<\/p>\n
The four will be from Pulogadung to Hotel Indonesia in Central
\nJakarta, from Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta to Ancol in North
\nJakarta, from Ragunan in South Jakarta to Jl. Imam Bonjol in
\nCentral Jakarta and from Kampung Rambutan in East Jakarta to
\nKampung Melayu.<\/p>\n
Data from busway management BP TransJakarta showed that when
\nbusway corridor I was launched in early 2004, it only took some
\n20,000 passengers each day. Now, there are over 70,000 travelers
\nusing the busway every day.<\/p>",
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