Jakarta traffic nightmare

Jakarta traffic nightmare

I read that more toll roads are being planned for Jakarta to
solve the traffic problem. This has been shown elsewhere to be
ineffective because it just encourages more traffic.

I travel once each week at about 7:30 a.m. south through the
area around Blok M to Ragunan and observe that 90 percent of cars
traveling north carry just a single driver. Commuting to work by
private car is no longer practiced in most large cities.

I offer an alternative suggestion:
1. Shut down half of the parking places currently operating in
Jakarta, with promises of more to follow.
2. Limit parking at those remaining to two hours, so that
commuters are discouraged from using private vehicles.
3. Reduce the fuel subsidy further and use some of the funds to
subsidize buses; but only those that have passed roadworthy and
emissions tests.

As a bonus, the off-street parking areas could be converted
into low-cost housing, and the outside parking areas could be
changed into green areas so lacking here.

PETER EAST
Jakarta