City weighs police proposal on traffic

City weighs police proposal on traffic

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration is still studying a
proposal made by city police on improving the flow of traffic in
the capital.

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said on Wednesday that the proposal
is still being studied because any decision concerning traffic
matters should be made by the administration's special commission
on city traffic.

"The commission consists of officials from various agencies,
including the city police," Surjadi said.

On Monday, Jakarta City Police Deputy Chief Brig. Gen. Hamami
Nata told members of the House of Representatives' Commission I,
which oversees foreign affairs, defense and information, that the
city administration has not yet provided any response to a
proposal aimed at easing traffic problems in the city.

Hamami said the proposal sought restrictions on the number of
vehicles traversing certain roads in the city. "For example, only
vehicles whose number plates have an odd number would be
permitted to use the roads on certain days, while only vehicles
with even numbers would be permitted to use the roads on other
days."

The police have also proposed that old vehicles be banned from
the city's main roads.

Hamami said it is time for the city administration to
implement such restrictions because the traffic situation in the
city has reached an alarming level. He said that unless a set of
effective actions are taken the situation will be worse by the
year 2000.

He said there are currently 2.7 million vehicles in Jakarta
and that the number is growing at the rate of 14 percent per
year, while the growth of roads is only 4 percent per annum.

Meanwhile, City Council Chairman M.H. Ritonga said the
proposal might work well but that further research should be
conducted.

"I think the proposal is good, but of course there should be a
comprehensive study of whether or not it will be really helpful
in overcoming traffic problems in the city," said Ritonga, a
former chief of the Jakarta city police.

He said necessary research would include an investigation of
whether or not Jakartans have other alternatives, such as a
reliable means of public transportation.

Ritonga suggested that the city administration and city police
review the three-in-one policy, which requires private cars
wanting to use certain main roads during the morning rush hours
to carry at least three people.

"It is time to review the policy to see whether or not it is
effective enough to ease traffic problems," he said. (yns)