City is sticking to its vehicle sticker plan

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration is currently drafting regulations to support its plan to introduce the use of stickers to limit the number of vehicles in busy zones during peak hours.

Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Abdul Kahfi told reporters that a special team, set up last month, had been assigned the task of drafting the regulations and making the necessary technical preparations.

"We are going ahead with the preparations while waiting for the presidential decree approving the use of the sticker system," Kahfi said, adding that the State Secretariat was working on the decree.

He said the decree was expected to be signed after the People's Consultative Assembly ended its General Session today.

The system will replace the current regulation known as three- in-one, under which private vehicles must contain at least three people when entering the restricted zone during the morning rush hour.

The head of the City Development Planning Board, Budihardjo Sukmadi, is leading the special team comprising senior officials from various agencies, such as transportation, city planning, public works, law and financial affairs.

The team is expected to propose that a private company administers the system, and runs a campaign to familiarize the public with the system.

Kahfi denied rumors that PT Wijaya Wisesa, a company owned by former deputy governor Eddy Nalapraya, had been given the contract. "No decision has been made. We're keeping our options open," he said.

Wijaya Wisesa has reportedly proposed charging Rp 5,000 per entry, Rp 8,000 for an entire day and Rp 100,000 for one month's access under the sticker system.

Two other companies are believed to have bid for the project.

City councilors meanwhile hailed the municipality's move to start drafting the regulations.

Amarullah Asbah, who heads Commission C for financial affairs, said the sticker system would provide a new source of income for the city administration.

Amarullah however said any trial of the system must wait for the rules to be enacted and endorsed by the City Council.

He promised to give a sweeping reading of the draft rules as soon as they were presented to the council. "We're ready to debate them for the public's sake."

Ali Wongso Sinaga, who heads Commission D for development affairs, called for thorough planning before the system was introduced.

He also insisted on having all the legal aspects settled in advance, amid signs the municipality might go ahead with a trial run even before the rules are enacted.

The new system is likely to stick to the same zoning used in the three-in-one regulation which restricts vehicles on Jl. Thamrin, Jl. Jend. Sudirman and Jl. Gatot Subroto from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. from Monday to Saturday.

The three-in-one regulation was introduced in 1992 in a bid to ease the notorious morning traffic congestion. Motorists have managed to beat the system by hiring "jockeys", usually young children, who offer to make up the numbers for Rp 1,000 (10 U.S. cents) a time. (edt)