Bus, taxi lane for toll road

BEKASI: To ease the busy traffic along Pondok Gede Timur toll road, city toll road operator PT Jasa Marga plans to designate an exclusive lane for public transportation.

"With the new lane, the traffic would no longer be disrupted with public buses picking up and dropping passengers in the toll road," Jasa Marga official, Tito Karim, who oversees the operational of Jakarta-Cikampek road, was quoted as saying by Tempointeraktif.com

The presence of street vendors, motorcycle taxis, and unlicensed tow trucks waiting near the toll gates also contributed to the heavy congestion, while private motorists also often dropped off passengers who intended to continue their trips in public vehicles.

"The last time we banned motorcycle taxi drivers (from waiting around the toll gates), they burned tires in protest against us," Tito said.

"Therefore, instead of restricting (public vehicles), we'd rather facilitate them by providing the new lane." -- JP