People reach saturation point as transportation troubles pile up
People reach saturation point as transportation troubles pile up
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A long line of slow-moving vehicles is almost an ordinary
scene in Jakarta, but flooding this week caused some of the worst
congestion many residents had ever experienced, creating
frustration and desperation.
An insurance man, Hidayat, said he and his wife spent four and
a half hours to get from Slipi to Jl. Panjang, Kebon Jeruk (about
a four-minute ride with no traffic), on their way to their home
in Tangerang via the toll, only to find out that the congestion
extended all the way to West Java. He then made a decision to
return to his wife's office in Slipi and they slept in the car
until morning.
His hopes for a break in the traffic were fulfilled on
Saturday morning. But, they were disappointed again as a
policeman at Tomang asked them to turn back to Slipi as the toll
road was under 1.5 meters of water.
"Even though you're driving a jeep, it's too risky to go
through the water," the policeman said. "It's so deep and the
current is so strong. It's better to go back."
Hidayat could no longer control his emotions. He was
exhausted, frustrated and hungry. He had not eaten since the
previous evening. And he was worried about his young son, who was
at home only with the maids.
He finally left his wife and car at her office and hitched a
ride on a large truck to get home to his son and presumably some
rice.
"It's the worst traffic congestion I have ever experienced in
my life. We couldn't eat and we were stuck in the car for hours!
I really hope it'll be my last," he grumbled.
The inundation at two spots on the Tangerang toll road this
past week has been a major source of frustration. Most were
siting in traffic since Friday afternoon and only managed to
reach Tangerang by late Saturday morning, a 45-minute commute
turned into an excruciating 20-hour debacle.
Drivers were not the only frustrated ones.
Public transport passengers also suffered mightily. Many
flooded streets caused bus drivers to take much longer alternate
routes which required passengers to pay more.
Rachmat was one of them.
Traveling from Pondok Gede to Kampung Melayu, he was forced to
pay Rp 3,000 for a trip that normally runs Rp 1,500. Besides the
money, he also spent many more hours in traffic as the drivers
tried to find dry routes.
"I had to walk for some kilometers before arriving home," said
Hartini, an elderly woman whose bus dropped her far from her
normal spot.
Butet, another unfortunate commuter had to stand in the rain
on Jl. Cikini for more than 30 minutes to get a taxi.
"About 20 taxis passed but they were full. When there was an
empty one, people rushed it and the driver asked the destination
before taking the passenger," she said. "Many of them were turned
down. I was lucky enough to get to my destination."
She also expressed her disappointment with the lack of public
transportation in Jakarta, and the fact that taxi drivers usually
refuse to go near flooded areas.