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)