Putting brakes on jalopies?<\/p>\n
Jakarta is again pondering restricting the number of older
\ncars in the city. It is also mulling the banning of motorcycles
\nfrom main thoroughfares. Traffic congestion and the environment
\ntop the list of concerns in both cases.<\/p>\n
While the city's efforts to free Jakarta from its daily
\ntraffic jams should be commended, the two measures under
\nconsideration smack of a piecemeal solution. One is reminded of
\nthe three-in-one policy, whose success in reducing traffic
\ncongestion is debatable, to say the least.<\/p>\n
The idea of restricting older cars in Jakarta is not new. It
\nwas first mooted in the 1970s and has been on and off the agenda
\nof successive governors since then. It was almost made law two
\nyears ago when it managed to slip into a transportation bylaw for
\nthe first time. The bylaw was dropped at the eleventh hour on the
\ngrounds that the city would lose vehicle tax revenues amounting
\nto Rp 2.2 trillion (US$225 million), about 20 percent of
\nJakarta's annual budget back then.<\/p>\n
Now the topic is back on the agenda again and the argument
\nthis time around is that Jakarta has too many vehicles. The city
\nnow has two million cars and 4.5 million motorcycles plying its
\n7,500-kilometer-long road network. With the number of cars
\ngrowing by seven percent a year and motorbikes by 15 percent a
\nyear, or 35,000 new units a month, Jakarta's roads simply cannot
\ncope as their length only increases by one percent a year. This
\narmada of 6.5 million motorized vehicles is simply too much for
\nJakarta's road network to support. So, the reason behind the
\nproposed policy seems credible, but the policy itself, if
\nimplemented, will be highly controversial.<\/p>\n
First, there is the problem of defining what an older car is.
\nSecond, restricting the number of older cars in the city would be
\na discriminatory policy that favors the rich.<\/p>\n
What distinguishes one car with another in terms of pollution
\nis not its age, but rather its roadworthiness. This includes its
\nemissions level. Hence, vintage cars, which are usually
\nmaintained in top condition by their owners, do not pollute the
\nenvironment. There are less discriminatory policies the city
\ncould ponder on. In the United Kingdom and many other places, car
\nowners have to obtain roadworthiness certificates as soon as
\ntheir cars are three years old. The cost of obtaining such a
\ncertificate becomes more expensive as the car gets older as
\nmaintenance costs increase. Sooner or later, it will become
\ncheaper for the motorist to buy a new car than to maintain the
\nolder car.<\/p>\n
Jakarta's policies often give rise to frustration. The three-
\nin-one-policy has made it more difficult for motorists to travel
\nthrough the city. Yet, it has done little to ease traffic
\ncongestion.<\/p>\n
The proposed prohibition on motorcycles is equally
\ndiscriminatory. If we talk about numbers and space, it would be
\nmore logical to restrict cars on Jakarta's narrower streets,
\nwhich are, in fact, more suited to motorcycles. Hence, it is
\nclear that the Jakarta administration has an topsy-turvy way of
\nlooking at things.<\/p>\n
If the controversial policy is implemented, what about those
\npeople who rely on the speed of their motorcycles to get their
\nwork done, like couriers, postmen, motorcycle taxi drivers, etc?
\nOr those who have switched to motorcycles instead of taking their
\ncars because of the congested roads? Should they start driving
\ntheir cars again, thus further clogging our already congested
\nroads?<\/p>\n
Some have said that motorcyclists lack discipline. But this is
\na different issue. Road behavior involves law enforcement, as
\ngood policing would increase discipline among bikers. At the
\npresent time, only a few undisciplined motorists get ticketed
\nwhen the police are around, while everyone else continues to get
\noff scot-free. The question is, how come the same drivers behave
\ndifferently when they are in countries with a more disciplined
\nsystem, like Singapore or Malaysia?<\/p>\n
The number of motorcycles has shot up partly because Jakarta
\nlacks an efficient and comfortable public transportation system.
\nThose who need to avoid traffic congestion have no option other
\nthan jump on a motorcycle. Even ministers do so occasionally.<\/p>\n
The root of the problem in Jakarta is the lack of a mass rapid
\ntransportation system. Such a system is a must for any city with
\nmore than ten million people. It is a crying shame that proper
\nplanning has not been carried out for this before now. But until
\nsuch time as those in power take action, Jakartans will, as
\nusual, have to pay the price for a consistent lack of proper
\nplanning down the years in the nation's capital.<\/p>\n
This means that Jakartans will continue to have to watch as Rp
\n41 billion per day goes up in smoke as a result of wasted time,
\nineffective fuel use and health problems, according to a December
\n2004 study.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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