Bus stops

Bus stops

I am a foreigner in Jakarta on a short-term assignment. I
could not help but notice the red squares that began appearing
lately on some Jakarta roads. I have always wondered what they
are. I am very surprised to learn, after reading your article on
Dec. 30 on page 4, that they are actually bus stops.

While the city has done this with good intentions, I doubt
this system will work. In fact it may be a hazard to both the
passengers and to motorists. If passengers were to get on and off
the buses in the fast lanes, how are they supposed to cross the
road? I just have this image of groups of people dashing back and
forth in front of traffic across Sudirman every few minutes
during rush hour.

For every major system that is set up, there need to be other
sub-systems to support it. In this case, the sub-systems would be
proper crossings like overpasses, traffic lights or at least some
zebra crossings.

Anyway, I wish the city luck with the trial this month.

SZE K. HUI, Jakarta