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

`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