Indonesians the worst drivers in the world

Indonesians the worst drivers in the world

JAKARTA (JP): When it comes to traffic discipline, Indonesians are rated among the worst in the world, a British consultant said yesterday.

David Stewart, a traffic management consultant, said in a seminar in Yogyakarta that lack of discipline among Indonesian motorists is the chief cause of traffic congestions found in the country's large cities, Antara reported.

"Compared to other developing countries, the number of violations against traffic regulations and signs in Indonesia is the highest," he was quoted by the news agency as saying. "I found that almost every traffic marks and signs are violated."

The Birmingham University graduate said that given the lack of discipline, he was puzzled by the relatively low traffic accident rate in Indonesia compared to that found in the West.

Speaking at a workshop on urban traffic management training, Stewart said the low discipline among drivers make managing traffic in Indonesian cities difficult, and this is something which no theory or regulations could solve.

Sunyoto, a traffic management expert from Gadjah Mada University, told the workshop that traffic management is also a matter of culture, and any research and analysis of traffic problems should take this fact into account.

In Indonesia, many rural migrants make their living from the highways, such as peddling goods to motorists, something which is not found in the West.

He said traffic management and policies in Indonesia should be integrated with the overall city planning and spatial planning.

Sunyoto agreed with Stewart's assessment of the lack of discipline among motorists. "Awareness of traffic regulations is an absolute must and we have to instill this in our people since childhood," he said.

Without discipline, no traffic management concept would be effective in ensuring safety and comfort in the streets, he said. (emb)