On Kijangs and coziness<\/p>\n
People who own Toyota Kijangs could be disappointed in coming
\nmonths, that is if they own them for reasons of prestige,
\nbecause, since older Kijangs have been used as mikrolet minibuses
\nfor years -- the City administration has allowed Kijang vans to
\nbe used as taxis.<\/p>\n
There is also a hint of fetidness in the air about this new
\ndevelopment, aside from the car maker's swiftness in luring the
\nCity administration to agree on the use of a Kijang fleet.<\/p>\n
The taxis will reportedly operate under the control of Express
\ntaxi, a company partly owned by the City administration. However,
\nno gubernatorial decree legalizes all this -- but is based
\ninstead on Provincial Decree No. 12\/2003 on traffic and ground
\ntransportation.<\/p>\n
With at least four million vehicles, including more than
\n25,000 taxi cabs, packing the less than 7,000 kilometers of road
\nthe capital city, it is no wonder that traffic is so atrocious
\nhere.<\/p>\n
The recently established TransJakarta busway system, which was
\nclaimed as a cure-all, has not yet proven its worth. Instead, it
\nhas increased congestion in many areas.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Transportation Office has yet to reveal a clear
\nplan for the Kijang taxis. If the issuance of new cab permits is
\nfor the sake of tourism, it might be instructive to remind our
\ndistinguished decision makers that the number of (foreign)
\ntourists has been rapidly decreasing in recent years. The
\nquestion then is, do Jakarta's residents need more taxis --
\nespecially corpulent minivans that take up even more space on
\noften very narrow roads?<\/p>\n
Congestion and traffic violations are too common, and law
\nenforcement is poor. Law No. 14\/1992 on land transportation has
\nyet to be enforced properly. According to Article 61 of the law,
\nthose found violating traffic laws are subject to a year in jail
\nor a maximum fine of Rp 1 million.<\/p>\n
However, in practice the violators are only subject to \"street
\nlaw enforcement\" -- traffic cops who accept bribes, often in the
\ntens of thousands of rupiah range. Worse, the cops turn a blind
\neye to motorcycles and public transportation vehicles, the
\ndrivers of which never seem to grow bored with the life-
\nthreatening exhilaration of barreling through all the red lights
\naround town.<\/p>\n
Traffic congestion in the city costs car owners almost Rp 3
\nbillion in vehicle operational costs every day, not to mention
\nthe economic loss due to lost man hours.<\/p>\n
In regard to air pollution, the decision to add a whole new
\nfleet of taxis is also flawed. The World Health Organization has
\nacknowledged that Jakarta is one of the worst (air) polluted
\ncities in the world. Its air is severely contaminated with
\nparticles of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and lead.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta administration jolted some vehicle owners last
\nyear when it announced plans to impose road worthiness tests on
\nprivate vehicles. This test is mentioned in Law No. 14\/1992, and
\nsays that anyone operating vehicles that are not roadworthy will
\nbe subject to a three-month jail sentence or a Rp 3 million fine.
\nThat sounds ideal. At least it gives the impression that law
\nenforcement is proper in the country.<\/p>\n
But obligatory tests for road worthiness have actually been
\napplied for years on public transportation and commercial
\nvehicles, but not for private vehicles. However, owners of public
\ntransportation firms have learned that such tests have become
\nlucrative cash cows for the less-than-virtuous officials in
\ncharge. Most of the time, bribes are exchanged in return for a
\nroadworthiness sticker.<\/p>\n
All this clearly shows that nothing has been properly done by
\nthe administration to solve the city's traffic problems. Rather,
\nit has apparently missed the real problems.<\/p>\n
The teeming city of Jakarta obviously needs an integrated
\nground transportation system that spreads out from residential
\nareas to the business or office complexes where people work every
\nday.<\/p>\n
At present, each municipality has its own policy for ojek
\nmotorcycle taxis, bajaj three-wheeled motorized vehicles,
\nmikrolet 12-seat minibuses and Metro Mini buses, with no
\ncooperation from one to the next, let alone links to the larger
\ncity transportation system consisting of such means as trains or
\nregular city buses.<\/p>\n
Certain areas appear to have too many mikrolet operating, most
\nof which look for passengers by stopping anywhere they darn well
\nplease, creating serious congestion.<\/p>\n
How about the five mayors in the capital getting together for
\ntea some afternoon and discussing ways to cooperate and improve
\ntransportation in an appropriate manner?<\/p>\n
Experience proves that the decision makers tend to miss the
\nmost important things in dealing with the city transportation
\nproblem.<\/p>\n
The TransJakarta bus system is one such policy that lacks a
\nsense of \"traffic crisis\". The TransJakarta buses in themselves
\nare excellent because they have their own lanes, and reach their
\ndestinations on time.<\/p>\n
However, the TransJakarta busway is, in fact, a stand-alone
\nsystem, not integrated to a broader inter-linked transportation
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the permit for Kijang taxis could arouse suspicion
\namong the city's residents that there may be something a bit too
\ncozy involving the local car maker and the decision makers. At
\nthe end of the day, more space-eating taxis do not seem to be an
\nanswer to Jakarta's traffic woes.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/on-kijangs-and-coziness-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}