Motorcycles in Jakarta

As a person who commutes by motorcycle taxi (ojek) from my home in Depok to my office in downtown Jakarta, I read with anger Zatni Arbi's article (The Jakarta Post, June 13) and Soegih Arto's letter (Post, June 18) about ridding Jakarta's streets of motorcycles.

I think neither writer realizes that motorcycles are an integral part of the transportation system in Jakarta. Some residential areas are easily accessed by motorbikes. And many activities are accomplished by motorcycle, such as courier deliveries, postal deliveries and food deliveries, not to mention the ojek.

Given all of this, any suggestion to get rid of motorcycles from Jakarta's streets is illogical. Hopefully Governor Sutiyoso is wise enough not to be provoked and will ignore such an idea.

If motorcycles aggravate traffic problems in Jakarta, the solution is not to ban them.

MOHAMMAD MA'SUM Jakarta