`I'm sure the busway won't solve traffic problems'

In an attempt to alleviate traffic around the areas of Blok M in South Jakarta and Kota in West Jakarta and to encourage more commuters to use public transit, the city administration plans to start a new project called the busway system on a trial basis in January next year. The Jakarta Post asked some city residents about the busway plan.

Sunar is a conductor on a bus that runs from Blok M, South Jakarta, to Kota, West Jakarta. He is a resident of Ciputat, Tangerang, Banten:

I totally disagree with the city administration's plan to introduce the busway system as it will reduce the daily income of those operating regular public buses.

Competition will be tougher. With only 15 regular buses on the same route, we have to compete so much that we don't have time to stop for a break. So what will happen if there are more buses operating on the same route?

I don't know what we will do to cover the fee for renting a bus, which can go as high as Rp 850,000 a day.

I'm sure the system will not solve traffic problems in the city. Worse still, these other buses will unavoidably cause traffic to get backed up even more.

I think it would be better to deploy some police officers to direct traffic at some congested points around the city. That would be much more effective than a project costing billions of rupiah.

Purba, 40, is an entrepreneur who resides in Kampung Rambutan, East Jakarta, with his wife and four children:

I'm fed up with the city's problems. Jakarta's name is synonymous with severe traffic jams.

The allocation of Rp 90 billion for the busway project is too much. It's just a waste of money and unrealistic.

How can we easily solve these problems, including the traffic congestion along Jl. Gajah Mada, Jl. Hayam Wuruk and Kota? The plan is nonsense, I think.

I think Governor Sutiyoso just wants to show off to the central government that he is a competent city governor.

I think it would be far better to use the budget funds to improve the education of orphaned children because I'm sure they will be much smarter than Sutiyoso.

There are many problems which need to be solved immediately such as cracking down on youth gangs.

Mutakhin lives in Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta:

I guess having the busway is a good idea, but it won't work well without other systems in place to support it. For instance, there has to be regulation stopping city residents from driving their cars at certain times.

However, I'm pessimistic that the new system will work. I think that city traffic problems will continue and even worsen as long as there are the same amount of vehicles on the road.

I think it would be better to construct a mass rapid transit system in the city. Regardless of the budget, it would help alleviate traffic. Otherwise, it would just be a waste of money.

Suwarta, 19, has been selling pens on buses for four years. He resides in Bekasi, West Java, with his friends:

The busway system is not the best solution for alleviating traffic in the city, and the addition of new buses will just clog up the thoroughfares.

Jakarta is well-known for its traffic jams. Worse, the addition of new buses will make the roads even more jammed.

Personally, however, I am happy that there is a plan to improve the transit system and that there will be more buses operating on the roads. That means I will have more opportunities to sell my goods on the buses so I can get a higher daily income.

I also won't have to compete as much with fellow hawkers to get on the buses.

But it would be better to use the budget to help the poor like me rather than implement this new system.

--Leo Wahyudi S