City traffic jams blamed on poor planning

City traffic jams blamed on poor planning

Adianto P Simamora and Anissa S. Febrina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Ever feel like you are going nowhere in this city? Perhaps
it's because you are -- stuck in one of Jakarta's notorious
traffic jams. Frazzled commuters could do well to take this
website's advice:

"Consider the time that you spend caught in traffic jams as an
opportunity to make some phone calls from your cell-phone or even
to do some work. Be aware, however, that phone thefts from cars
stopped at traffic lights are becoming more common, so it's best
to only phone while the car is moving."

That tip, posted on an Indonesian website for expatriates,
http://www.expat.or.id, indicates how tiresome and sometimes
risky it is for people to travel along Jakarta's roads.

Shruti Lohia, an Indian businessman, describes Jakarta as a
nice city but with too much traffic congestion and believes the
city's road network is becoming one of the worst in Asia.

"Every day, we spend two hours communicating from our home to
office and vice versa over a distance of just 15 kilometers,"
Shruti, who lives in a Pondok Indah complex, told The Jakarta
Post.

Ayako Shimizu, a staff member at the Information and Culture
Section at the Japanese Embassy here, described the city's road
network as uncontrolled and unplanned.

"I have to say it is very chaotic. It looks as if no one has
any patience," Shimizu, who has been living here for about a
year, said.

In jams Shimizu says she tries to enjoy himself by doing some
work, reading or taking a nap.

"When you're in a bis kota (city bus) you can also shop at the
same time. (Traders) sell many things, from candy and other
snacks, sandals, dictionaries and even nail clippers," she said.

Ahn Ali, a Korean businessman living in Pondok Gede, said that
the administration's poor transportation concept was the main
reason behind the chronic traffic jams.

"The busway only helps a little and I think the (planned)
monorail will (not help much) either," he said.

"The three-in-one policy is troubling as it makes it difficult
for motorists to move around (the center of the city)," Ahn said.
The city was also hectic for pedestrians as most of its sidewalks
were occupied by motorists or street vendors.

A recent study estimated the average traveling speed in the
city is only 14.75 kilometers an hour.

The situation has been exacerbated by the increasing number of
vehicles in the city. There are now about 4.7 million vehicles in
the city, some 1.3 million of which are private cars.

Last year, in a bid to ease the daily congestion, the city
administration launched the busway project along the main street
linking the Blok M and Kota areas. The administration plans to
expand the busway project, construct some new flyovers and
underpasses, and build a monorail network.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian transportation community (MTI) urged
the city authorities to actively involve the public in
transportation projects from the planning phase to the monitoring
of their development and the maintenance of the facilities.

"The government must involve communities in all stages of
transportation projects," chairman Bambang Susantono told The
Post.

Bambang admitted that the administration had formally asked
members of the public and community groups for their input over
transportation issues, but said it had never seriously considered
their suggestions.