Jakarta Council Urges City to Map Congestion Hotspots Caused by Ride-Hailing Pickups

The Jakarta Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) has urged the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to first map out locations frequently experiencing traffic congestion due to online motorcycle taxi (ojol) pick-up and drop-off activities before carrying out massive parking enforcement. Commission B Chairman Nova Harivan Paloh stated that regulatory measures would be ineffective without clear data on where drivers and passengers tend to accumulate. He said the first step must be an inventory, with the government needing data on which points trigger congestion because of ojol activity. Nova identified office areas, shopping centres, stations, and public transport hubs as locations requiring detailed mapping. From this data, the government can determine appropriate handling measures, including the provision of waiting areas and designated pick-up points. He emphasised that enforcement should not be carried out without data, and that the traffic patterns of ojol users, their gathering points, and the locations most frequently causing traffic disruption must be understood first. Nova added that providing drop-off and pick-up areas is key to reducing illegal parking and queues on the road. He argued the issue cannot be resolved solely through a law enforcement approach. If there are points congested due to ojol activity, alternative waiting and pick-up areas must be considered, as drivers cannot be asked to move if no alternatives are available. He also stressed the importance of collaboration between the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, app operators, building managers, and business area managers in organising ojol activities in Jakarta. Furthermore, Nova reminded that the limited number of field officers must be taken into account before enforcement policies are implemented. He noted that while the regional regulation already exists, the question is whether field supervision is ready, warning that rules should not be created if officers are unable to supervise them optimally, as this could create new problems.