Jakarta Transport Head States No Decision Yet on Odd-Even Traffic Rule Changes

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Head of the Jakarta Transportation Agency (Kadishub), Budi Awaluddin, has emphasised that, as of now, no decision has been reached regarding changes to the odd-even traffic restriction rules in the capital.

“There have been no changes yet. We are still merely observing and evaluating the odd-even system that has been in place for ten years,” said Budi at City Hall, Jakarta, on Wednesday.

He stated that his department still needs to conduct a thorough study regarding the odd-even regulation. However, he also noted that the rule has proven quite effective in reducing traffic congestion, meaning any decision regarding the policy requires further investigation.

“On one hand, the economy is being impacted by this, with some sectors being affected. We will review this later, and we may also re-examine the locations and routes subject to the odd-even restrictions,” Budi explained.

During the Focus Group Discussion (FGD), discussions covered several aspects related to the implementation of the odd-even rule, including economic conditions, the environment, emissions, and vehicle characteristics.

“A more in-depth study regarding the odd-even rule is needed, which will correlate with economic issues, the environment, current emissions, and vehicle types. There are many aspects that must be studied more deeply,” said Budi.

According to him, feedback from business actors serves as one of the considerations in the evaluation. He noted that several business owners are requesting that the implementation of the odd-even rule be made more relaxed.

However, such proposals have also drawn attention from experts. Budi mentioned that there are views suggesting that relaxing the rules could potentially increase traffic density. Therefore, the Jakarta Transportation Agency will conduct a more profound study before determining any steps regarding the odd-even policy in the capital.