Revved up and ready to go on motorbike to beat traffic

Revved up and ready to go on motorbike to beat traffic

By Mohammad Yazid

JAKARTA (JP): Getting from one place to another is one of the
biggest problems for people amid the capital's chronic traffic
deficiencies.

It is of particular concern for people living outside of the
city, such as Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi, who have to commute to
work every day. Public transportation services, such as the buses
and trains, cannot meet their needs. Use of a private car is also
no guarantee of arriving at work on time due to the long traffic
jams snaking through the city.

Yet some commuters have switched to using motorcycles for the
simple reason of convenience.

"I think motorcycles can overcome some of the difficulties",
said Edi Maryadi, a manager of a state-owned insurance company in
Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta.

He now leaves his car in the garage and rides a motorcycle for
the 16 kilometers from his home in Bekasi to the workplace. He
said it took him about two hours by car, but now it involves a
ride of about half an hour on the motorbike.

Most motorcycle users are from the low to middle income group.
Those with higher incomes tend to invest in expensive
motorcycles, like Harley Davidsons and BMWs, for recreation and
as status symbols.

Edi is part of a trend to return to using motorcycles of old.

Of course, it brings with it its own problems of a lack of
comfort and exposure to air pollution. Many believe there is the
greater risk of a fatal accident when riding a motorcycle, even
if one is wearing a helmet.

Loyal riders swear by its efficiency.

"It is an efficient and economic vehicle," said Munir,
advisory board member of the Commission for Missing Persons and
Victims of Violence. He has ridden a motorcycle since 1982, when
he was a student university in Malang, East Java.

A car uses gas six times faster per liter compared to a
motorbike. "So, it is very ngirit (economical)," explained Munir
who has bought and sold six motorcycles; his last one was stolen
from his office few months ago.

Experiences

Edi has come to share similar experiences with Munir in riding
around the city.

They said they developed greater patience and tolerance of
other road users, which are rarely found among car drivers. There
is also solidarity among the drivers. If another rider falls off
his bike, they will quickly alight from their own to help. And
they will give chase to the offending car driver who was
responsible.

Many regard the vehicles as practical, inexpensive to take
care of and relatively cheap to purchase.

Leading Japanese makes such as Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and
Kawasaki, the Vespa from Italy and Jetmatic from Taiwan are above
Rp 10 million.

Most of the new brands, from China, India, South Korea and
Taiwan such as Sanex, Xiangjiang, Zong-shen, Jiangshe, Dayang,
Xindong, Chunlan, Jianshe, Hongda, Wang Guan and Yoriko, are
friendlier on the pocketbook and average under Rp 10 million.

The efficiency and practicality of motorbikes were shown to
full effect in an advertisement by Thamrin Thalib from
advertising firm PT Adri Wara Krida.

In the ad, MTV veejay Sarah Sechan gives the slip to her
boyfriend as they sit in their sedan in a long traffic jam in
Pancoran, South Jakarta. She hops on a macho man's motorbike,
races through the standstill traffic and is soon at her
destination.

Yet, the truth is that it's not always a smooth ride for the
riders.

Many of them have resorted to using face masks to combat the
terrible smog and pollution in the city. They also usually wear
protective jackets, dark glasses or goggles and helmets, the
latter required by law to protect themselves from the elements
(even though a lot of riders continue to shirk the requirement on
helmets).

Motorcycles and their owners also have not been immune to
soaring crime in the city. In addition to petty theft of bag
snatchings or muggings at traffic lights, there have been fatal
robberies of riders, particularly ojek (motorcycle taxi) riders.
Motorcycles are also often targets for thefts in parking lots,
but ironically they also have become the preferred getaway
vehicle for some criminals because of their efficiency.

Edi and Munir held the same opinion about the threat of crime
when riding their motorbikes. "Who can avoid disaster when it
comes," they said phlegmatically.