Many criticize transportation bylaw
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Transportation experts expressed pessimism that the newly approved bylaw on city transportation would not be a strong framework to create an efficient transportation system in the city as it gives too much authority to the governor, opening the door to further abuse of power.
Jack Sumabrata, a transportation expert from the University of Indonesia (UI), said the bylaw was disappointing because the city needed an independent and powerful body to rectify the chaotic transportation system in Jakarta.
He said the failure to create comprehensive urban transportation regulations would only worsen current conditions.
"The City Council should be blamed for its inability to overcome the uncontrolled transportation problems in the city," Jack told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
A similar comment came from coordinator of the Urban Transportation Society Azas Tigor Nainggolan. Tigor insisted that his organization would demand a judicial review of the bylaw.
The bylaw, approved on Monday, covers traffic and land, rail, river and ferry transportation. The council and Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso boasted that the new regulation will accelerate the government's efforts to provide affordable, efficient and clean transportation in Jakarta.
Unfortunately the bylaw itself only touches general aspects and practically gives the governor a final say on everything. The governor is authorized to issue 40 gubernatorial decrees to support the bylaw.
Tigor expressed concern that the governor was also authorized to define the structure, working mechanism, and membership of the City Transportation Council (DTK). Transportation experts said DTK should be an independent body and free from any external interventions.
Tigor stressed the need for an independent and strong DTK so that it could resolve various problems on urban transportation.
"If everything is authorized by the governor, DTK will never become an independent body although its members may come from various parties," Tigor told the Post on Thursday.
Based on the bylaw, the DTK membership will comprise transportation experts, scholars, officials from the City Land Transportation Agency, police, public transportation operators and non-governmental organizations.
The council should be established before June next year.
Tigor said that his organization would study closely the content of the bylaw and it planned to propose a judicial review so that there would be a possibility of revising the bylaw, which was vital in developing a transportation system in the city.
Meanwhile, Jack also expressed concern that the bylaw failed to stipulate vehicular emission standards for private cars because private cars contribute 70 percent of air pollutants in urban areas.
According to Jack, inclusion of such a ruling in the bylaw would significantly reduce air pollution in the city.
Environmentalists have been waiting for the bylaw on emission levels as it would facilitate the implementation of Gubernatorial Decree No. 1041/2000 on the emission standards for vehicles in the city.