Letter #4

Letter #4

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a student at Ipeka Christian Bilingual School. Every morning when I go to school, I'm almost always trapped in traffic congestion. As a result, I am often late to school. Sometimes in the afternoon when I go home from school, I get caught in traffic congestion.

It seems that recently, it has become unlikely for us to avoid heavy traffic in many parts of Jakarta. Traveling a distance of eight kilometers, for example, may take as long as two hours during rush hour. I think traffic congestion has become a very serious problem in Jakarta.

Traffic congestion is more than just a problem in Jakarta. It makes people tired from having to spend hours in the street. It takes more time to get to a place than it should.

Traffic congestion also makes people waste more fuel, [and] this waste of fuel consumption could lead to an energy crisis in the country. Besides, it makes people reluctant to travel in the city. I believe that traffic congestion is caused by the number of motor vehicles have grown too large in Jakarta.

We all know that the government has tried several methods to handle this problem, one of them is the three-in-one [policy]. Unfortunately, this method doesn't work very well.

But, I still believe that there are still some ways that the government should try to handle this problem. First, the government should extend the routes of the busway. I think the busway is a good transportation facility, and it can accommodate a number of people in a relatively short time [compared to conventional buses]. Another benefit of choosing the busway as daily transportation vehicle is that it is relatively cheap.

Secondly, the government should create a mass rapid transportation system such as monorails and the MRT. Thirdly, and most importantly, the government should discipline drivers of public transport who are reckless. Reckless drivers are one of the main factors that cause traffic jams in Jakarta.

I have faith that my suggestions will be successful because with the extensive routes of busway, more people can travel on the bus. I also think that a monorail or MRT can accommodate a large number of people at a time in a relatively short time, so people would rather choose monorails or the MRT as daily transportation rather than a private car. By disciplining the reckless drivers, traffic can run smoother.

If these plans succeed, the traffic will become smoother and comfortable, although I know that to make these come true, we need a large amount of money.

Some people might say that these plans are impossible. But, I can assure you that all of these are possible. But, I am afraid if the government doesn't handle this problem seriously in the future, maybe it will take one hour to travel a distance of eight kilometers during normal hours.

We all want to have a better future, and I believe that government can afford the budget to make these plans come true.

I hope that the government and the people of Jakarta will consider my suggestions. Let's build a better future for Jakarta. Together, we can make this come true.

Thank you for your attention and your willingness to read my letter. I hope my letter can be published in the newspaper.

Sincerely, Patricia Larissa