Team given go ahead to probe sticker system

JAKARTA (JP): The city municipality has established a special team to conduct an in-depth study of the proposed sticker system, which is to replace the current three-in-one traffic regulation.

Gubernatorial Decree No. 115/1998 dated Feb. 9 -- but made available to the media Monday -- sets out the team's objectives.

The head of City Development Planning Board, Wahab Rachmatsjah, is to lead the team which will comprise dozens of senior officials from related agencies and bodies, such as transportation, public works, city planning, law and financial affairs, the decree said.

The team is to work in conjunction with the minister/state secretary's office, related ministries, the public and experts, it said.

In the decree, Governor Sutiyoso underlined that the administration would await the results of the team's appraisal before implementing the sticker system.

The main tasks of the team are drafting the concept, planning and technical implementation of the sticker system; preparing the legal basis; proposing the organization or the operator which will later be appointed to manage the system; preparing the cooperation scheme; and familiarizing the public with the sticker system.

City councilors and experts have espoused the pros and cons of the proposed sticker system since Sutiyoso announced the plan in December last year.

Most opposed the system, saying it would give little to the city or those using the affected street but instead burden motorists.

Under the new system, motorists who pass along the current three-in-one zones -- Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta and Jl. Jend. Sudirman and Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta -- during the morning peak hours will be required to buy stickers.

The three-in-one regulation, which was introduced in 1992 in an attempt to ease traffic congestion, stipulates that a private car passing through the zone must have a minimum of three occupants between 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. on work days.

The city administration indicated its intention to abolish the regulation on the grounds that it was no longer effective, especially due to the presence of hundreds of "jockeys" -- the local term for people who offer themselves as the second and/or third passenger for a short ride through the restricted area.

When asked to comment on the founding of the special team, Agus Pambagio, vice chairman of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation, expressed hope that team members would pay attention to the facts that emerge from the study.

"It is important for them to conduct thorough economic and social research about the impact of the proposed system," he told The Jakarta Post Monday.

"Can you imagine if the traffic police have to turn their heads all the time to see whether the passing cars have a sticker on their windshield or not.

This is ridiculous. It will drive the police crazy."

Agus also mentioned the possibility that stickers could be faked.

"And where do we go to get the stickers? Where will the money go?"

He said he had no objection if the fund collected from sticker sales was used to develop a better public transportation system as long as the procedures were transparent and legal.

"We don't want to see the public's money disappear without a trace as has happened in several cases here."

Agus said it was important for the municipality to anticipate the possible social and economic ramifications of the system before implementing it.

"Please do something to eliminate the social and economic effect. Don't rush things. It's for the benefit of the people."

The city's assistant for administrative and development affairs and one of the team's members, Ongky Sukasah, said the team would tackle the social and economic aspects of the proposed system first.

"We have already thought of some ways to make the system work properly, but you have to be patient," he said. "We will carefully consider every suggestion from related parties." (ind/edt)