Jams should be overcome, not created<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): No, Mr. Niess, the IMF has got it completely
\nwrong. The reasons for the Indonesian crisis are not economic. It
\nis due to a difference in cultural values.<\/p>\n
Like many, I thought for a long time that these Asian values
\nwere just another ploy for the power holders to make more money
\nand stay in command. But finally I have to admit that there are
\nmajor cultural differences. For example, Indonesians love, and
\nare addicted to, macet (traffic jams).<\/p>\n
Western culture, and economics, puts much emphasis on the
\nsmooth, free flow of things -- such as money, people and cars.
\nIndonesians do not. Here, the motto is: \"How can we create jams?\"<\/p>\n
I saw evidence for this a few weeks ago. I was invited to a
\nwedding, a Batak wedding to be more precise. There were the usual
\ntraffic jams outside as we arrived at the meeting hall to park.
\nBut what amazed me was the organized confusion inside, at the
\nentrance of the hall. All the margas (tribes), i.e. the extended
\nfamily, were requested to come in together for the well-wishing.
\nIt was complete chaos, at least from my point of view. Of course
\nqueuing was out of question (you don't want to look at the back
\nof the person in front of you). So you crowd, you push and shove
\nlike cattle, in the heat. You think; \"What a lack of
\norganization!\" But no, this is the organization. This is part of
\nthe wedding, designed purposely by the wedding committee.<\/p>\n
To create the first macet, they limited the entrance by
\nkeeping the gate half-open and blocking it with a few plants.
\nThey let new arrivals stepping out of their cars have a
\ngratuitous chat first with people especially assigned for that
\npurpose.<\/p>\n
They arrange to have just a few less tables and chairs than
\nthere are guests. This assured a peculiar chair dance. They also
\nput the orchestra close to the tables and distributed
\nloudspeakers throughout the hall. The speakers were turned up
\njust loud enough so nobody could ask for the exit.<\/p>\n
I have the privilege of living off Ciputat Raya. This gives me
\nthe tremendous pleasure of participating at any time of the day,
\nall week, in the favorite macet pastime of Indonesians. The Lebak
\nBulus bus terminal (like so many other terminals) has been very
\nwell designed so that full armadas of buses and legions of
\npassengers can get off and on their carrier in an efficient and
\nsafe way. A five to six-lane road in front of the terminal
\nassures that traffic will never get clogged under whatever
\ncircumstances. And yet...<\/p>\n
Before the krismon (monetary crisis) I thought that if there
\nwas a macet the reason was: too many people, not enough buses.
\nBut now, with much fewer people, and (too) many buses it is still
\njammed. Even on Sunday afternoons, when you would think it hard
\nto organize a macet, they succeed. I think, on those occasions,
\nthey call a special task force. The strategy is very simple: Pile
\nup six Mikrolets (minivans) next to one another so that only one
\nlane is left free for cars to pass through.<\/p>\n
I read that the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of
\nEducation and Culture decided to subsidize the small bus
\ncompanies... to promote these types of cultural events. The
\nMinistry of Manpower is also happy with these activities because
\nthey create more jobs for attendants who show the way around the
\nMikrolets to the seventh \"free\" lane. The Ministry of Trade is
\nalso happy because (as has been written before in The Jakarta
\nPost) the bus drivers bring their services closer to customers.<\/p>\n
But yes, Mr. Niess, don't let us fool ourselves. The few who
\nare supposed to get better, special service obtain it at a higher
\n(physical) risk and put elderly people, small children and
\ndisabled people at a greater disadvantage. The attendant jobs
\ncreated are artificial and cosmetic, and do not solve the real
\nproblem. The subsidies given to the bus companies are often a
\nwaste of money as the assumptions and criteria are ill-conceived.
\nAnd finally, it is a slap in the face for the majority of
\npassengers and buses who use the terminal according to written
\nrules.<\/p>\n
I cannot imagine what would happen if, at no additional cost,
\nthe Lebak Bulus bus terminal would just enforce its own rules,
\ninstead of bending toward the \"Asian values\": Every day tens of
\nthousands of people would get home an hour earlier. Hundreds of
\nthousands of liters of fuel would be saved. Surely with the
\nsavings in fuel people would buy imported stuff instead of using
\nthe locally produced, and subsidized, \"premix\". All the
\npassengers, and buses, would be treated equally. No special deals
\nfor the stronger, the fitter or the more daring. With the
\nexception of the few Mikrolets at the exit, the majority of the
\nbuses would fare better and with lower operating costs, saving
\nfuel and time.<\/p>\n
Yes, Mr. Niess, we could draw the parallel further to the
\n\"credit macet\". But then I risk becoming too serious. It is clear
\nthat as a terminal the Central Bank had all the means and
\nmechanisms to control the banks (busses) and their passengers
\n(clients). And it is clear that the macet could be anticipated.
\nIn fact, for years it was tolerated -- if not organized. It is
\nclear that the majority of clients were using banks and bank
\nservices as they were supposed to. But because of the behavior of
\na number of banks and their daring clients, the whole business
\ncommunity and the laymen (not only bank clients) are now cash-
\nstarved. The survivors of the macet hope that those in charge, or
\nthe new elite, will realize that for the common good it is better
\nto eradicate macet. And the best way is \"to stick to the rules
\nand enforce them\".<\/p>\n
-- Philippe Lyssens<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jams-should-be-overcome-not-created-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }