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