City Council endorses traffic sticker prices

City Council endorses traffic sticker prices

JAKARTA (JP): The City Council endorsed yesterday the
municipality's proposal to set prices of stickers, scheduled to
replace the three-in-one traffic policy, at Rp 5,000 (about 40
U.S. cents) for a one-day entry into designated traffic areas and
Rp 80,000 ($10) monthly, an official said.

Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Abdul Kahfi,
speaking after the presentation of the plan to councilors, said
the pricing was based on "deep and careful analysis".

He added that the system, which will be tried out from August
to November this year, would be in effect on weekdays on Jl.
Jend. Sudirman in South Jakarta and Jl. M.H. Thamrin in Central
Jakarta.

Originally, the system was also earmarked for Jl. Medan
Merdeka Barat and part of Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto, as stipulated
in the 1998 Presidential Decree No. 50 on restricted traffic
areas.

Under the system, motorists passing through Jl. Sudirman and
Jl. Thamrin from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00
p.m. will be required to display valid stickers on the left side
of their windshields.

"We concluded that the ideal price for the sticker for entry
to the restricted areas would be Rp 3,000 in the morning and
another Rp 3,000 in the afternoon, but we decided to charge
motorists Rp 5,000 each for a full day to make it easier," Kahfi
said.

"On the monthly charge of Rp 80,000, we are actually giving
the motorists a form of discount as have not calculated it on a
daily basis."

Exempt from the system are public transportation vehicles;
automobiles of the President, Vice President, state guests and
their entourages; fire engines and ambulances.

Deputy Governor for Development Affairs Budiardjo Sukmadi said
Jl. Medan Mereka Barat and Jl. Gatot Subroto were excluded from
the system to avoid possible traffic congestion near the National
Monument and toll gates along Jl. Gatot Subroto.

Kahfi said the administration would establish a management
board on the control and distribution of the stickers.

He said profits from sales would be used primarily to upgrade
the public transportation system, such as purchases of buses or
construction of flyovers.

Stickers will be sold at 40 banks, shops and supermarkets
around and along the restricted routes, he said, "but the number
can be more than that if needed".

According to an administration survey last year, 10,200
vehicles passed Jl. Sudirman hourly during morning peak hours in
the northern direction and 4,300 in the southern direction. In
the afternoon, 3,900 passed in the northern direction and 9,500
to the south.

The survey found that 73 percent of 10,000 vehicles counted
during peak traffic hours were private automobiles, 8 percent
were taxis, 7 percent motorcycles, 9 percent buses and 3 percent
other types of vehicles.

Despite his previous announcement that the private sector
would not be involved in the sticker system, Kahfi said yesterday
the administration was open to the possibility of its
involvement, "as long as the things to be handled cannot be
managed by the administration".

The private sector might be contracted for the printing of
stickers, he said.

Kahfi stressed that any involvement of the private sector
would be done transparently through open bidding for contracts.

About 16 private companies have submitted proposals for
involvement, he added. (ind)