City to initiate two new bus routes<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has expressed its hope
\nthat the new bus routes along the capital's main thoroughfares,
\nwhich are going to be put on offer to bus operators, will support
\nits unpopular three-in-one traffic restriction policy.<\/p>\n
An official of the City Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ),
\nD.A. Rini, who is in charge of the bidding process for the
\nroutes, believed that more people would be willing to take buses
\nwith the new routes instead of driving in their own private cars.<\/p>\n
She said only companies with good buses and strict regulations
\nwould be considered for the new routes.<\/p>\n
\"If the (winning) bus company meets the requirements, we can
\nprovide the public a good alternative to using their own cars,\"
\nRini said on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"We do not want to inconvenience the public like we did with
\nthe three-in-one policy. Because there were no alternatives, the
\npolicy resulted in the presence of three-in-one jockeys that
\nbecame another problem for the city,\" she added.<\/p>\n
Aimed at reducing heavy traffic in morning rush hours, the
\ncity administration introduced the three-in-one policy in 1997.
\nIt only allows private automobiles with a minimum of three people
\nto travel the major streets from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m on weekdays
\nand Saturdays.<\/p>\n
The policy initially received strong objections from people
\nworking in Jakarta's \"golden triangle\" business district of Jl.
\nSudirman, Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Gatot Subroto.<\/p>\n
The policy is generally regarded as a failure because rather
\nthan reducing the number of vehicles, it only resulted in
\nchildren and teenagers offering themselves as passengers to cars
\ngoing to the restricted area for the price of Rp 1,000 each.<\/p>\n
To combat this unexpected enterprise, police and city Public
\nOrder officials have staged occasional cleaning operations along
\nmajor arteries leading to the restricted area. According to
\njockeys, mostly children, they were released after paying a fine
\nto the arresting officers.<\/p>\n
According to Rini, the most important of the two routes to be
\noffered for bidding will connect Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman.
\nThe other route will serve commuters traveling Jl. Pemuda, Jl.
\nPramuka, and Jl. Diponegoro to Jl. Imam Bonjol.<\/p>\n
The most important route will be tendered next year but the
\nnumber two route will be tendered for bidding in December this
\nyear, she explained.<\/p>\n
\"The open bid is part of the city's program to reduce traffic
\ncongestion in the capital.<\/p>\n
We already restrict vehicles (with less than three passengers
\ninside) to enter the area (at certain hours), soon we will offer
\npublic transportation as an alternative,\" Rini.<\/p>\n
Participants in the bidding must meet certain requirements
\nsuch as the age and roadworthiness of the busses and restrictions
\non passengers standing inside the buses.<\/p>\n
The tender is open to the 14 existing bus companies including
\nthe city-owned company (PPD) and five minibus firms.<\/p>\n
She said her office hoped that the Thamrin-Sudirman project
\nwould be operating by 2003 and the other route by 2002.<\/p>\n
DLLAJ is also studying other systems, such as sticker,
\nticketing and electronic monitoring.<\/p>\n
The electronic monitoring devices, she said, would be placed
\nat the edge of the streets.<\/p>\n
\"For now we consider the sticker and ticket system as more
\nfeasible because the electronic one is expensive and we may not
\nbe able to maintain the equipment. However, we are considering
\nevery possibility,\" Rini said.<\/p>\n
She said her office is still waiting for reactions from the
\npolice about the ideas because law enforcement will be the main
\nfactor to improvement of the traffic situation.<\/p>\n
DLLAJ Chief Buyung Atang seems more optimistic, saying that
\nthe city administration would approve the ticket system for the
\nrestricted area and it could be implemented soon.<\/p>\n
\"We have been raiding the jockeys since October and I really
\nexpect that the ticket system can be tried late next year. It is
\nurgent for us to improve the traffic situation by implementing
\nthis policy,\" he said.(dja)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-to-initiate-two-new-bus-routes-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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