Jakarta gridlock, problems and solutions<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: Many residents here seem to take traffic jams for
\ngranted since it has become a daily occurrence as well as a
\ncharacteristic of this city of more than 10 million people. Even
\nthough the congestion gets worse each year, many people have no
\nother choice but to face it.<\/p>\n
Nobody seems to do much about the fact that they have to
\nallocate more time and spend more money for gasoline for their
\ndaily travels.<\/p>\n
The wider effects of this extreme traffic congestion means
\nwasted time and productivity. Workers who are trapped in
\ngridlock, which sometimes lasts for hours, are usually unable to
\ndo anything productive, all the while becoming more stressed,
\nwhich leads to even less productivity when they finally do arrive
\nat their office or factory.<\/p>\n
Apart from those essentially macro-economic issues, vehicles
\nsnared in traffic jams consume more fuel and produce more air
\npollution causing greater environmental degradation.<\/p>\n
In 1995 alone, according to data from state-owned oil company
\nPertamina, over 2 million vehicles trapped in traffic jams
\nconsumed more than 3.8 million liters of fuel, a whopping
\nincrease of 17.2 percent from the previous year.<\/p>\n
Data from the Environmental Impact Control Agency (Bappedal)
\nreveals that the four million or so vehicles in the city produce
\n1.8 millimeters per cubic meter of particularly harmful lead
\npollutants.<\/p>\n
This type of air pollution can be very detrimental to the
\nhuman respiratory system.<\/p>\n
The financial impact according to Bapedal is estimated to be
\nsome US$600 billion for Jakarta residents between the years 1996
\nand 2000 to treat patients with diseases caused by air
\npollutants.<\/p>\n
It all adds up to more money spent on health care, more money
\nfor fuel, a deterioration of the environment and a worsening
\neconomy that cannot compete with other countries due to lost
\nproductivity.<\/p>\n
Despite the numerous disadvantages of traffic jams to the
\ncountry and the people, strangely, the agencies in charge of the
\nroads do not seem particularly aware of this crisis. The city
\nadministration usually argues that the available roads around the
\ncity simply cannot accommodate the extensive number of vehicles,
\nand nothing is done.<\/p>\n
Data from Atmajaya University last year revealed that each
\nyear the number of vehicles here increases by nine percent.<\/p>\n
The increase is due to the fact that most middle-class people
\ntend to prefer commuting in private vehicles rather than the
\nwoefully dirty, crowded, inadequate and unsafe public
\ntransportation system here, according to Heru Nugroho, the head
\nof Gadjah Mada University's Center for Transportation and
\nLogistics Studies.<\/p>\n
The already appalling condition of the entire public
\ntransportation system here is also worsening. Many bus passengers
\nhave experienced all manner of problems from harassment of female
\npassengers to pickpockets to broken down vehicles. Even if none
\nof those problems occurs it is virtually a given that a commuter
\nwill be crushed into a 24-passenger bus, stuffed like sardines
\nwith more than 50 sometimes.<\/p>\n
Worse still, the administration has repeatedly failed to
\nprovide the public with an appropriate means of transportation
\ndespite strong, prolonged public criticism.<\/p>\n
Actually, the fact that roads in the city are unable to
\naccommodate the number of vehicles is not the only reason for the
\ngridlock.<\/p>\n
Among the other reasons that traffic is so bad here also
\nincludes, the presence of street vendors who occupy sidewalks and
\nroads, undisciplined drivers, a terrible lack of traffic signs
\nand constant road repairs. Not to mention that, when there is an
\naccident Jakartans are notorious for stopping to look, even if it
\ndoes not affect their lane.<\/p>\n
Street vendors play an important role in causing traffic jams
\nhere. They occupy sidewalks and, even, roads to do business.
\nWhatever the reason is, their actions reduce space for vehicles,
\nhindering the flow of cars.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, most drivers here are found to be undisciplined.
\nThey commonly disobey traffic signs and break traffic
\nregulations. In addition the motorists, pedestrians also
\nfrequently defy traffic regulations. Very often, they stop a bus
\nin a prohibited area.<\/p>\n
Actually, the administration had tried to resolve the
\nproblems. There are at least three agencies under the city
\nadministration whose tasks are related to traffic issues.<\/p>\n
The agencies include the city transportation agency, the city
\npublic works agency and the city planning agency.<\/p>\n
Each agency has different roles in managing traffic here. For
\nexample, the city transportation agency is said to be responsible
\nfor managing the routes for public transportation while the
\npublic works agency must take care of road maintenance.<\/p>\n
All agencies try to combat traffic jams in their own way. The
\ntransportation agency usually tries to change public
\ntransportation routes to avoid high-traffic areas. This year
\nalone, the agency changed public transportation routes twice.<\/p>\n
The first change was carried out in May and the second was in
\nNovember. However, bus drivers occasionally opposed the changes.
\nIn November, drivers staged a strike after the agency set up a
\nnew route for some public buses in the Blok M area of South
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
To make matters worse, the pubic works agency always seems to
\nhave construction crews clogging up the roads. The renovation
\nprojects are usually conducted several times a year, even if a
\nroad is still in a relatively good condition.<\/p>\n
The public works agency renovated several roads around the
\ncity. Traffic jams, consequently, occur during the construction.
\nThis year, the agency has conducted at least 44 projects.<\/p>\n
Transportation analysts have criticized the administration for
\nuncoordinated approaches to dealing with the congestion. Experts
\nagree that traffic problems would never be resolved by the
\nauthorities using the methods adopted so far.<\/p>\n
\"The administration has never had an integrated plan to deal
\nwith the problem. Their attempts to resolve gridlock are very
\nshort-sighted,\" said Heru.<\/p>\n
By not taking an integrated approach, Heru asserted, the
\nadministration simply wasted taxpayer money since there was
\nabsolutely nothing positive to show for their \"efforts\" thus far.<\/p>\n
Suyono Dikun, the chairman of the Indonesian Transportation
\nSociety, concurred, saying that the administration must get
\nserious in coping with the problem.<\/p>\n
Some observers believed that problems could be resolved if the
\nadministration built a mass transit system, while many others
\noppose the suggestion, saying that the city must radically reform
\nthe current transportation system.<\/p>\n
Apart from the debate, he said, the agencies have seemingly
\nnot been able to understand their regular agenda to cope with
\ntraffic jams, which is costing taxpayers billions of rupiah.<\/p>\n
To combat the gridlock problems, agencies responsible for
\nmanaging traffic have no other choice but to develop an
\nintegrated plan. The related agencies must work together on the
\nmatter, Suyono added<\/p>\n
Whatever the proposal is, it must cover the main problem and
\nhow to resolve it as well as predicting the possible problems
\nthat could lead to heavier congestion in the future.<\/p>\n
After all this time and so many traffic jams, they have only
\nattempted to solve traffic jams in certain areas, while utterly
\nfailing to combat the root of the problem. As doctors point out,
\nit is actually impossible to cure a disease only by treating the
\nsymptoms, he said.<\/p>\n
However, the larger issue in solving the problem may be
\nJakarta's age-old nemesis -- corruption. No matter how perfect a
\nplan is, it remains utterly useless if the administration
\nofficers and politicians continue to take certain benefits from
\nthe projects for their own interests, at the expense of the
\nproject itself, and the taxpayer. Honesty and integrity indeed,
\nare musts in dealing with the complicated issue, several analysts
\nnoted.<\/p>",
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