City police pledged on Thursday to take stern action against all road rule violators, starting 12 a.m. on Friday (today).

Jakarta Police traffic chief Sr. Comr. Djoko Susilo said they would ticket motorcycles taking the fast lane of main streets, buses that dropped and picked up passengers outside designated shelter areas and all motorists who crossed the white lines or did not stop at red traffic lights.

"We will launch a special operation called Patuh Jaya to begin enforcing Bylaw No. 22/2004. From Nov. 18 to Dec. 17, we will enforce the law in several main roads across the capital," Djoko said.

Police would be deployed on the city's thoroughfares, including Jl. Gatot Subroto in South and Central Jakarta, Jl. MT Haryono in East Jakarta and Jl. Warung Buncit in South Jakarta.

Under the bylaw, those infringing the rules can be fined up to Rp 1 million (US$100) and face a maximum of a year's imprisonment.

Police are already applying the bylaw along Jl. Thamrin and Sudirman and many motorcyclists have been ticketed for taking the fast lanes along the two thoroughfares.

Police would also monitor bus shelters at Plaza Semanggi, Bendungan Hilir and Ratu Plaza, all in Central Jakarta, to make sure buses drop passengers at the right places.

To make sure that all motorists stay behind road markings when stopping at traffic lights, police will monitor lights at Pancoran and Kuningan in South Jakarta and Hotel Indonesia traffic circle and Sarinah in Central Jakarta.

Police will also check the traffic along Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Gerbang Pemuda and Jl. Asia-Afrika in Central Jakarta, to make sure all motorists wore seat belts.

Djoko said the Jakarta Police would launch another campaign, Operasi Lilin, from Dec. 18 to Jan. 18, to anticipate crimes and terrorist attacks that might occur during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.