Junction yellow box system introduced to ease traffic

JAKARTA (JP): Police reintroduced yesterday yellow boxes at intersections in a bid to reduce the heavy traffic jams in some areas.

City Police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata said drivers will be given two months to become accustomed to the boxes; anyone caught violating the system during this period will not be sanctioned.

"We are allowing a one-month period for people to get used to this system. Warnings will be given to violators during the second month and legal sanctions will be imposed in the third month," said Hamami.

According to City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang, those who break the rules will be charged with violating 1992 Law No. 14 on Traffic and Transportation Regulations.

"Breaking the yellow junction box rules is a violation of Article 61 on traffic signs which carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail or a Rp 1 million (US$116) fine," he said.

A yellow junction box comprises a box of yellow lines at the four stop lines at intersections and two diagonals crossing in the center of the box.

Under the system drivers are prohibited from entering the box unless they can leave it before the traffic lights change. If they are caught in the middle of the junction box when the lights change they will have committed a traffic violation.

Hamami inaugurated yesterday the reintroduction of two yellow junction boxes, at the Jl. Thamrin-Jl. KH Wahid Hasyim intersection in Central Jakarta and at the Jl. Trunojoyo-Jl. Pattimura intersection in South Jakarta.

Five more boxes would soon be set up in areas with severe traffic jams, he said without naming the areas.

Hamami said that the most effective ways to reduce traffic congestion were instilling driver discipline and goodwill to obey the regulations.

"There will be no traffic jams if drivers care enough to follow all the traffic signs and signals," he said.

He said new traffic signs had been prepared to support the introduction of the yellow junction box system.

The City Police first introduced the system in 1993 when they set up seven boxes.

Boxes were painted at the Jl. Pattimura-Jl. Trunojoyo intersection, in front of the Al Azhar mosque on Jl. Sisingamangaraja, and in front of the Pondok Indah Mall, all in South Jakarta.

Two others were located at the Jl. Samanhudi-Jl. Gunung Sahari and the Jl. Jembatan Besi intersections in Central Jakarta. The remaining two were located in North Jakarta, in front of the Pasar Ikan fish market on Jl. Pakin and in East Jakarta at the Jl. Matraman-Jl. Pramuka intersection.

The system did not prove a success and was discontinued after only a few months. (cst)