Minister casts doubt on success of busway, 3-in-1<\/p>\n
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Minister of Communications Agum Gumelar expressed doubts on
\nThursday about the likely success of the busway project and the
\nthree-in-one traffic policy extension by the Jakarta
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
\"It's a huge change in the transportation system and would
\nentail the proper preparation of human resources to enable it to
\nsucceed. Before being implementation, I want to see the busway
\nbeing evaluated thoroughly, especially the support facilities,\"
\nhe said during a presentation by the busway team led by Irzal
\nDjamal, who is also the assistant to the city secretary for
\ndevelopment affairs.<\/p>\n
The busway is scheduled to kick off on Jan. 15, in line with
\nthe extension and expansion of the new three-in-one traffic
\npolicy, a tryout of which is slated to start on Monday.<\/p>\n
The new policy requires private vehicles to carry at least
\nthree passengers when traveling in the busway corridor from Blok
\nM, South Jakarta, to Kota, West Jakarta, between 6:30 a.m. to 8
\np.m. The corridor includes Jl. Jend. Sudirman and Jl. M.H.
\nThamrin in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Agum suggested the administration consider pushing back the
\nplanned starting date for the busway to ensure all facilities
\nwere ready.<\/p>\n
\"The availability of parking lots for car owners so that they
\ncan switch to buses to take them into the heart of the city, and
\nthe provision of feeder services have to be ensured to make the
\nsystem work,\" he said, adding that this would also avoid
\ncomplaints from commuters from outside Jakarta.<\/p>\n
For private motorists, Agum suggested a road-pricing policy,
\nin which motorists driving alone would have to pay to enter the
\nthree-in-one zone.<\/p>\n
His suggestion was seconded by the Director General of Land
\nTransportation, Iskandar Abu Bakar, who asserted that private
\nmotorists working in offices along Jl. Jend. Sudirman and Jl.
\nM.H. Thamrin were some of the country's biggest taxpayers.<\/p>\n
\"The problem has to be addressed as they (private motorists)
\nwon't easily give up their habit of using their cars. We have to
\nadmit that the businesses located along these streets have been
\nthe main financial supports of the city,\" said Iskandar.<\/p>\n
He also said that the idea of barring cars with certain
\nlicense plate numbers from entering the central zone on certain
\ndays would not do any good.<\/p>\n
\"People with a lot of money will just buy a new car that has
\ndifferent digits at the end of its license plate number,\"
\nIskandar said.<\/p>\n
Irzal said that the three-in-one policy could be rolled back
\nshould it fail to ease the traffic jams. He failed, however, to
\nelaborate on the definition of failure.<\/p>\n
He also said that the administration would revoke the licenses
\nof 149 buses belonging to four bus operators, which currently
\noperate on the Blok M - Kota route.<\/p>\n
The four operators -- PPD, Steady Safe, Pahala Kencana and
\nBianglala -- would form a consortium for the purpose of receiving
\ncompensation for the revoked licenses.<\/p>\n
\"Bianglala has yet to accept the plan because they are also
\ndemanding that their buses be allowed to operate in the slow
\nlane,\" said Irzal.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/minister-casts-doubt-on-success-of-busway-3-in-1-1447893297",
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