Police not yet informed on sticker policy

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has not met traffic police to discuss the idea of selling monthly stickers to motorists wanting to enter Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Jl. M.H. Thamrin and Jl. Gatot Subroto during rush hours, City Traffic Police Chief Col. Ansyar Roem said Saturday.

Ansyar said there was no official word on the sticker idea.

"I personally agree with the idea. The stickers would be more helpful than picking up joki who charge to ride before entering the prohibited zone," Ansyar said. He was referring to paid passengers who helped motorists overcome the three-in-one car rule.

The rule was introduced in 1992 to reduce traffic using the city's main thoroughfares between 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Entrepreneurial locals offer joki services to motorists wanting to enter these streets during restricted periods.

Ansyar said the new system would help motorists who could be in danger using joki services.

"If a sticker costs Rp 50,000 a month, the use of joki would be a extravagant as a joki costs at least Rp 1,000 for one trip."

But he said the stickers could cause new problems: "A car without a sticker might be able to enter the restricted zone. And if this happened traffic police would be blamed for their ignorance."

Ansyar said traffic police were supposed to make traffic flow smoothly, "not count the number of people inside cars or look for stickers".

The sticker policy would not reduce traffic jams, he said.

Those not allowed to enter the restricted zone would find new routes so the same number of cars would still roam the city's streets, he said.

The idea of some city officials to sell stickers to drivers may have been inspired by a similar policy in Singapore. (sur/04)