Confusing traffic lights

Confusing traffic lights

From Kompas

In many places in Jakarta, traffic lights actually create rather than reduce traffic jams. At the Pramuka intersection, for instance, the red lights stopping traffic from Jalan Pramuka to Jalan Pemuda and vice versa stay red much longer, while the traffic from Tanjung Priok to Cililitan and vice versa has the green light for much longer.

Strangely, this situation only arises after 5 p.m., while no congestion takes place earlier when the lights are functioning normally. Sometimes a policeman appears to direct the traffic, which is snarled up due to the erratic lights, only to leave moments later when the jam finally gets out of control.

A taxi driver once told me that some people were interfering with the control panel for the traffic lights so as to favor those areas where street vendors and children frequent. Therefore, Jakarta's land transportation office should promptly repair and maintain the lights before any more chaos ensues.

NASRUL IDRIS
Jakarta