City road conditions

Since many people haven't experienced the daily dilemma of going to work in Jakarta on a motorcycle, my experience should prove to be an eye-opener.

Having lived and worked in Indonesia for over 30 years, I, like most Indonesian executives and expatriates, enjoy the luxury of going to work in an air-conditioned car.

While getting ready for work on April 8, 2002 at 7 a.m. my house boy informed me that my normal car route through Jl. Deplu to Pondok Indah was closed due to flooding.

Having several very important meetings schedules and plans to depart for Singapore the next day, I had no other choice but to go to work on the back of, "you guessed it", a motorcycle, which is owned by my house boy.

The journey started out zigzagging through the lanes of cars, which were at a total standstill. We soon took a turn into the back streets, known in Indonesia as jalan gang, which are free of cars. After reaching Jl. Deplu the fun began, we boarded a trolley (known as grobak) usually used for garbage. For Rp 5,000 we were pulled across the flooded street to the dry side of Pondok Indah.

To my surprise and probably due to the flooding, the traffic in Pondok Indah was flowing freely. I weighed the option of continuing by taxi, but decided that it would be just as simple to reach my office in Senayan by motorcycle. It was a poor decision.

This is when I really experienced the daily life of a motorcyclist. Besides avoiding the numerous life-threatening potholes, we were nearly run off the road twice, first by a bus that stopped when it pleased and without warning. And secondly by a speeding car that couldn't care less about a motorcycle. After at last reaching the office, my face was blackened by smoke and the detritus thrown up from Jakarta's streets. I needed not only a wash but a rest to settle my nerves.

My comments to the government: It wouldn't cost much money to make most of the improvements needed, just people in government who care and want to make a difference. Could the head of the Department of Public Works please do something about the many potholes that appear on Jakarta's streets every time it rains. Chief of the transport police, drivers of buses and cars need to be ticketed in order to raise safety standards. State Minister of the Environment, please do something about the pollution from vehicles that don't meet the standards. The people of Jakarta deserve better conditions.

RON MULLERS

Jakarta