AIT boss blasts RI's traffic management

JAKARTA (JP): President of the Alliance Internationale de Touring (AIT) Paul A. Nouwen on Saturday criticized traffic management in Indonesia.

Nouwen, who was in Bali to attend the opening of the AIT's Region II 13th general assembly, specifically pointed to the absence of separation between motorcycle and car lanes.

This, he said, allows motorcycles and cars to freely overtake each other.

"In fact, this practice is very dangerous and not up to the standard international traffic regulations," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Nouwen labeled traffic in Indonesia, especially in Bali, as disorder. He said Indonesia should learn from Malaysia, which has separate lanes for cars, motorcycles and bicycles.

He advised that the Indonesian Motor Association (IMI) should also play an active role in traffic regulation.

As an influential organization, the association could act as a bridge between the public and the government. IMI can influence the public to purchase less pollutive vehicles, he said.

He reasserted AIT's commitment to playing a more active role in helping combat air pollution caused by traffic.

In the Asia-Pacific region, AIT has about 19 million members and the number is expected to steadily grow, he said. (pan)