Councilors hail plan on car sticker system<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): City councilors have hailed the municipality's
\nplan to replace the three-in-one traffic regulation with a car
\nsticker system, which is to start after next month's general
\nsession of the People's Consultative Assembly.<\/p>\n
Amarullah Asbah, head of Commission C for city revenue, said
\nover the weekend that the sticker system could become a new
\nsource of revenue.<\/p>\n
\"I believe the municipality could gain more from this system,\"
\nhe said. \"But I urge the municipality to create a special section
\nin the city's budget to enable us to control and supervise
\nwhether (the funds) are really used to improve public
\ntransportation as promised.\"<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso has said funds from the sale of stickers
\nwould be used to update public transportation fleets, which are
\nmostly in poor condition.<\/p>\n
Five years after its debut, the governor decided to scrap the
\nthree-in-one traffic regulation and replace it with the sticker
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
The three-in-one system, which was aimed at encouraging people
\nto use public transportation, is no longer considered effective.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto gave a green light last week to the planned
\nintroduction of car stickers.<\/p>\n
Ade Surpriatna from Golkar faction urged the municipality to
\nconsider the possible negative effects of the new system.<\/p>\n
\"Don't let this system be manipulated like the three-in-one
\nsystem. The city must be quick to anticipate loopholes, such as
\nbogus stickers or corruption,\" he said.<\/p>\n
If the municipality acts professionally from the beginning,
\nthe system will work well, Ade said.<\/p>\n
Elishman Iljas of the United Development Party faction said
\nthe City Council must be included in discussions about the
\nimplementation of the new system.<\/p>\n
\"This policy will certainly affect the people. Therefore, even
\nthough the municipality has already been given a green light for
\nthe new system, they should consult us.<\/p>\n
\"We are the people's representatives. I personally agree with
\nthe new system but there are so many details to be discussed in
\norder to prevent it from causing problems and burdens for people
\nin the future.\"<\/p>\n
Three companies have reportedly submitted proposals to run the
\nsticker system.<\/p>\n
PT Wijaya Wisesa, one of the three firms, for example,
\nproposed that motorists be charged Rp 5,000 (50 U.S. cents) per
\nentry, Rp 8,000 for the entire day and Rp 100,000 per month.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said the system's implementation was being prepared,
\nincluding the prices of stickers and the successful tender to
\nwork in cooperation with the municipality.<\/p>\n
\"We will choose the best firm from among the private companies
\ninterested in the system.\"<\/p>\n
Under the new car sticker system, motorists have to buy
\nstickers to pass along Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jl. Thamrin and Jl.
\nSudirman.<\/p>\n
The stickers must be put on a certain part of the car to
\nenable detectors to identify the stickers through infrared
\nscanning devices at three locations.<\/p>\n
\"The new method will be different from the toll road system.
\nWe could not possibly use toll booths here for fear of creating
\ntraffic congestion,\" K. Santos, City Hall spokesman, said.<\/p>\n
The municipality reiterated that the sticker system would not
\nburden the poor as it would only affect middle- and upper-class
\npeople.<\/p>\n
\"On the contrary, it will benefit the poor people because the
\nmoney from the sale of the stickers will be used to improve
\npublic transportation fleets, most of which are already in bad
\ncondition,\" Sutiyoso said.<\/p>\n
He said those most affected would be people working in the
\nmodern office blocks along the three-in-one zones -- Jl. MH
\nThamrin in Central Jakarta and Jl. Jend. Sudirman and Jl. Gatot
\nSubroto in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
A similar system has been applied successfully in other
\ncountries, including Singapore, he said.<\/p>\n
The three-in-one policy, based on Law No. 14\/1992, requires
\nprivate cars to carry at least three passengers when traveling
\nalong Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin between
\n6.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on work days.<\/p>\n
But the system became ineffective after several parties began
\ntaking advantage of the system, including \"jockeys\" -- people who
\noffer themselves as passengers for a short ride into the
\nrestricted zones and past the police checkpoints for a fee of Rp
\n1,000. (edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/councilors-hail-plan-on-car-sticker-system-1447893297",
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