Governor given authority over transportation

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.