Gridlock as usual as 3-in-1 project on trial<\/p>\n
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Taking a regular non air-conditioned bus from Blok M, South
\nJakarta, to Kota, West Jakarta, during the middle-of-the-day is
\nbarely any different from catching a regular bus during three-in-
\none restricted periods.<\/p>\n
It took more than an hour to travel along the 12.9-kilometer
\nroute on Tuesday, at around midday. The bus left for the Kota
\nstation with at least 70 passengers, a street singer, a driver
\nand his assistant, onboard.<\/p>\n
Passengers paid only Rp 1,200 (14 U.S. cents) for a seat. The
\nmany passengers left standing, however, were not offered a
\ncheaper ride. With the street singer churning out religious
\nsongs, the bus began its daily route.<\/p>\n
Traffic was light until the bus intersected the Senayan
\ntraffic circle, South Jakarta. Here the road was congested with
\ncars, especially those in the fast lane heading toward Jl. Jend.
\nSudirman.<\/p>\n
This was the bus' first encounter with the Jakarta
\nAdministration's much-vaunted busway project, which is slated to
\nkick off on Jan. 15. Busway passengers will pay Rp 2,500 for a
\n"comfortable ride" in one of the 56 air-conditioned buses
\nprovided.<\/p>\n
The bus was stuck in heavy traffic after entering Harmoni
\narea, Central Jakarta, also on the busway corridor.<\/p>\n
From the Duta Merlin business complex on Jl. Gajah Mada, the
\nbus virtually traveled at snail's pace, sometimes stopping for
\nfive minutes or so.<\/p>\n
There were five lanes of cars on the street, including the
\nbusway lane, which was supposed to be clear from vehicles other
\nthan the specially designed buses. Despite the time of day,
\ntraffic was consistent with rush-hour.<\/p>\n
Inside the bus, a little girl asked passengers for alms. Some
\npeople fanned themselves because of the heat.<\/p>\n
Cars were very close to each other, frustrated drivers sounded
\ntheir horns. Along the side of the street, cars were parked in
\nfront of offices and shops, adding to the traffic jam.<\/p>\n
Several drivers also made U-turns, obstructing traffic flow
\nfurther. Lane dividers for busway -- from the front of the
\nJayakarta restaurant to a gas station, built on the median strip
\nin front of the Hwi-Lindeteves market -- were not yet ready.<\/p>\n
Although most of the lane dividers had been established, many
\nof them had not been painted yet. The unpainted lane dividers
\ncaused accidents as many drivers did not notice them.<\/p>\n
The journey became even more of an ordeal as the bus neared
\nthe Glodok electronic market, West Jakarta. Here the street was
\nconstricted with many street vendors offering pirated VCDs and
\nelectronic appliances. Vehicles also had to queue before passing
\nthe market.<\/p>\n
After passing the Metropole hotel, the bus finally managed to
\nspeed up all the way to Kota railway station. It appeared that
\ncars making U-turns in front of the hotel were largely
\nresponsible for the traffic jam here.<\/p>\n
The bus stopped at the station area for some 20 minutes,
\ngiving the driver the chance to take a break, before reversing
\nhis direction to face more congestion, all the way back to Blok
\nM.<\/p>\n
Traffic conditions are appalling, even before busway is
\nintroduced on Jan. 15, next year. Will busway be able to ease
\ncongestion? The administration's claim that private car owners
\nwill switch to using the busway system can only be proved by the
\ncitizens themselves.<\/p>",
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