Governor given authority over transportation
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The City Council approved on Monday a bylaw on transportation that gives Governor Sutiyoso full authority to make decisions on significant issues in the bylaw.
Based on the bylaw, the governor can decide on the maximum age of public transportation vehicles, the maximum speed allowed within city limits, the role of the as yet unestablished transportation council and the issuance of a gubernatorial decree on the safety of public transportation.
One of the most significant issues is the maximum age of public transportation vehicles. The maximum age has yet to be announced, but Sutiyoso hinted that no public vehicles more than 10 years old would be allowed on city roads.
"We need to limit the age of vehicles for public transportation to provide better services for commuters," he said after attending the council's plenary session to pass the bylaw.
The original draft of the bylaw proposed a maximum age for public and private vehicles. However, the proposal was turned down by councillors as they argued that many Jakartans would not accept the policy.
Sutiyoso was unsure about the date for the issuance of the decree limiting the age of public transportation vehicles, saying he would first need to discuss the matter with relevant officials at his administration.
The bylaw says that within the next six months, the governor must establish an independent City Transportation Council, the members of which should be transportation experts, scholars, officials from the City Land Transportation Agency, police, public transportation operators, non-governmental organizations, transportation crews and customers. The guidelines on the role of the transportation council will be issued by the governor later.
The bylaw also stipulates that City Land Transportation Agency personnel will be authorized to lock the wheels of vehicles parked in prohibited places. Fifteen minutes later, the cars will be towed away to the agency's yard, where the owners will be charged a towing fee and a parking fee.
The bylaw will also enable the city administration to play a significant role in arranging the railway transportation system, which to date has been the full authority of the central government.
However, the bylaw does not mention the vehicular emission standard for private cars, which contribute greatly to Jakarta's air pollution.
Environmentalists specializing in clean air have been waiting for the bylaw on this particular item as it would reaffirm Gubernatorial Decree No. 1041/2000 on the emission standard for vehicles in the city.
The busway and the monorail project are not explicitly covered in the bylaw. However, it recommends further regulation in separate bylaws or gubernatorial decrees.