New bus system might worsen traffic jams<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The City Transportation Agency warned on Friday that the busway
\nproject, scheduled to start later this year, would worsen traffic
\njams along the roads due to be used by the new buses.<\/p>\n
Head of the agency Rustam Effendy acknowledged that the
\ntraffic jams would get worse but he hoped that the situation
\nwould not last for long.<\/p>\n
Owners of private cars delayed by traffic jams were expected
\nto take the new buses when they realized that the buses would run
\nfast along special lanes, Rustam said.<\/p>\n
\"Although the main users of the buses would be low-income
\nfamilies, as the fares would be around Rp 2,500, the system also
\naims to persuade middle- to upper-income people to leave their
\ncars at home and take the buses,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The city administration plans to launch the new bus system,
\nofficially named the Bus Demonstration Project, costing Rp 54
\nbillion (about US$5.8 million), with 60 air-conditioned buses.
\nThey will run from Blok M, South Jakarta, to Kota, West Jakarta,
\npassing along 12.9 kilometers of road, including Jl.
\nSisingamangaraja, Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Thamrin, Jl. Merdeka Barat,
\nJl. Gajah Mada and Jl. Hayam Wuruk.<\/p>\n
Rustam said that each of the buses, with a capacity of 85
\npassengers, was expected to be able to carry about 30,600
\npassengers per day, with a headway of 1.5 minutes to 5 minutes.<\/p>\n
The buses will run along special lanes reserved for them only
\nand are designed in such a way that they could only take
\npassengers waiting at designated bus stops.<\/p>\n
A transportation observer, however, warned that the busway
\nproject might not work in the absence of proper law enforcement
\nagainst irresponsible motorists.<\/p>\n
Alan Marino of the University of Indonesia Center For
\nTransportation Studies said security officers had to be firm with
\nany violators once the new system was running, such as drivers of
\nprivate cars that used the bus lanes and passengers who did not
\nbuy a ticket. \"Law enforcement is still a big problems in
\nIndonesia. Will they be ready to crack down against the
\nviolators?\"<\/p>\n
Alan also questioned whether passenger safety could be
\nguaranteed as they would have to cross the road at pelican
\ncrossings on the road to the bus stops located in the green
\ncenter strips.<\/p>\n
A pelican crossing is a pedestrian-activated traffic light-
\ncontrolled crossing facility.<\/p>\n
Speaking separately, Tubagus Haryo Karbyanto from the
\nPresidium of Indonesian NGOs for Sustainable Transport, also said
\nthat it was unlikely that the new system would persuade middle-
\nand upper-income people to travel by bus in the near future.<\/p>\n
\"The public will assess whether the system will provide a
\ncomfortable service for them. I don't think that will happen in
\nthe near future as the buses, I believe, will be packed at peak
\nhours,\" he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-bus-system-might-worsen-traffic-jams-1447893297",
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