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)