Integrated transportation system, agency needed

Integrated transportation system, agency needed

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Experts have urged the city administration to establish an
integrated public transportation system as the best way in the
long run to overcome chronic traffic problems in the city,
instead of simply focusing on short-term solutions.

Contacted separately by The Jakarta Post, Alan Marino of the
University of Indonesia (UI) and Ofyar Z. Tamim of the Bandung
Institute of Technology (ITB) said an integrated transportation
system would provide better service to residents.

"Integration will allow residents to move easily from one
transportation mode to another without having to wait for too
long," Alan said on Tuesday.

"Such convenience can be achieved only by careful planning
involving all the parties involved in public transportation.

"All transportation modes have to complement and be connected
with each other."

Alan said such integration would greatly reduce the burden on
the roads as there would be no overlapping between the various
transportation modes.

Contacted earlier on Monday, Ofyar said the absence of public
transportation integration would only increase the use of private
vehicles as residents did not have sufficient options.

"Residents have to move too frequently from one transportation
mode to the other. This is too expensive," he said.

Besides, he said, residents were reluctant to use public
transportation as it was uncomfortable and unreliable. That was
why people opted to buy their own cars, which, in turn, decreased
road capacity.

Ofyar said an integrated transportation system should provide
good and reliable public transportation from residential areas to
people's destinations.

"This can only be achieved if the city administration pays
equal attention to the development of both railways and
roadways," he said.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, councillor Tjuk Sudono said such
integration needed to be decided upon by a special transportation
authority that would encompass the various city agencies and
other stakeholders involved.

"Transportation is not only the responsibility of the
transportation agency. There are several other agencies involved
in providing good public transportation," he said.

"The Jakarta Planning Agency, for example, has to plan city
development so as to reduce crossing traffic from one section of
the city to the other."

Tjuk, from the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction, said that
residential areas had to be built near the central business
district (CBD) or other centers of activities.

"So, the people in the west will not have to travel across the
city to the east where his or her office is located. We can only
achieve this by building more apartments," he said.

Tjuk also said Jakarta could not cope with the problem alone
as it would have to also include the city administrations of
Bogor, Bekasi and Depok in West Java, as well as Tangerang in
Banten province.

"We must take into account the great number of residents from
those neighboring cities who work in Jakarta," he said.

Jakarta is home to 8.3 million people but, during the day, the
number can increase to some 12 million.

Alan also supported the setting up of such a transportation
authority, saying it would enhance coordination between the
relevant city agencies.

"At the moment, I don't see any clear coordination between the
planning and transportation agencies as regards the possibility
of generated traffic," said Alan.

He further said that the planning agency's powers to designate
a certain area as a center of activities or assign it a specific
function would certainly generate traffic.

"I am sure that the Semanggi Plaza being constructed now at
the Semanggi cloverleaf bridge will cause huge traffic and
congestion in an already overcrowded area."

Alan also deplored the fact that the Jakarta Transportation
Agency had yet to have a capable chief, despite possessing good
human resources.

"Being the agency's chief needs a lot of courage because any
decisions taken will have great impacts citywide.

"That's why the agency chief should also have greater powers
for the setting of city transportation policy."