`I'm sure the busway won't solve traffic problems'<\/p>\n
In an attempt to alleviate traffic around the areas of Blok M in
\nSouth Jakarta and Kota in West Jakarta and to encourage more
\ncommuters to use public transit, the city administration plans to
\nstart a new project called the busway system on a trial basis in
\nJanuary next year. The Jakarta Post asked some city residents
\nabout the busway plan.<\/p>\n
Sunar is a conductor on a bus that runs from Blok M, South
\nJakarta, to Kota, West Jakarta. He is a resident of Ciputat,
\nTangerang, Banten:<\/p>\n
I totally disagree with the city administration's plan to
\nintroduce the busway system as it will reduce the daily income of
\nthose operating regular public buses.<\/p>\n
Competition will be tougher. With only 15 regular buses on the
\nsame route, we have to compete so much that we don't have time to
\nstop for a break. So what will happen if there are more buses
\noperating on the same route?<\/p>\n
I don't know what we will do to cover the fee for renting a
\nbus, which can go as high as Rp 850,000 a day.<\/p>\n
I'm sure the system will not solve traffic problems in the
\ncity. Worse still, these other buses will unavoidably cause
\ntraffic to get backed up even more.<\/p>\n
I think it would be better to deploy some police officers to
\ndirect traffic at some congested points around the city. That
\nwould be much more effective than a project costing billions of
\nrupiah.<\/p>\n
Purba, 40, is an entrepreneur who resides in Kampung Rambutan,
\nEast Jakarta, with his wife and four children:<\/p>\n
I'm fed up with the city's problems. Jakarta's name is
\nsynonymous with severe traffic jams.<\/p>\n
The allocation of Rp 90 billion for the busway project is too
\nmuch. It's just a waste of money and unrealistic.<\/p>\n
How can we easily solve these problems, including the traffic
\ncongestion along Jl. Gajah Mada, Jl. Hayam Wuruk and Kota? The
\nplan is nonsense, I think.<\/p>\n
I think Governor Sutiyoso just wants to show off to the
\ncentral government that he is a competent city governor.<\/p>\n
I think it would be far better to use the budget funds to
\nimprove the education of orphaned children because I'm sure they
\nwill be much smarter than Sutiyoso.<\/p>\n
There are many problems which need to be solved immediately
\nsuch as cracking down on youth gangs.<\/p>\n
Mutakhin lives in Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta:<\/p>\n
I guess having the busway is a good idea, but it won't work
\nwell without other systems in place to support it. For instance,
\nthere has to be regulation stopping city residents from driving
\ntheir cars at certain times.<\/p>\n
However, I'm pessimistic that the new system will work. I
\nthink that city traffic problems will continue and even worsen as
\nlong as there are the same amount of vehicles on the road.<\/p>\n
I think it would be better to construct a mass rapid transit
\nsystem in the city. Regardless of the budget, it would help
\nalleviate traffic. Otherwise, it would just be a waste of money.<\/p>\n
Suwarta, 19, has been selling pens on buses for four years. He
\nresides in Bekasi, West Java, with his friends:<\/p>\n
The busway system is not the best solution for alleviating
\ntraffic in the city, and the addition of new buses will just clog
\nup the thoroughfares.<\/p>\n
Jakarta is well-known for its traffic jams. Worse, the
\naddition of new buses will make the roads even more jammed.<\/p>\n
Personally, however, I am happy that there is a plan to
\nimprove the transit system and that there will be more buses
\noperating on the roads. That means I will have more opportunities
\nto sell my goods on the buses so I can get a higher daily income.<\/p>\n
I also won't have to compete as much with fellow hawkers to
\nget on the buses.<\/p>\n
But it would be better to use the budget to help the poor like
\nme rather than implement this new system.<\/p>\n
--Leo Wahyudi S<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/im-sure-the-busway-wont-solve-traffic-problems-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }