Thank God, Jakarta is back to normal

Thank God, Jakarta is back to normal

JAKARTA (JP): "Just what do they think they're doing to my
Jakarta?" said Martha vehemently upon seeing the shaping-up
activities that were pounding this metropolitan city in line with
the golden anniversary of Indonesia's independence.

She had good reasons to be furious. She was accused of
violating the regulations that prohibit people crossing Jalan
Thamrin without using the pedestrian bridge.

"I have been crossing the road this way for ages. And suddenly
I'm a violator," she ranted.

Martha, one the lovers of this heavily-congested city, was
certainly not happy with the changes made by the authorities.
"Her" Jakarta had been a city of convenience where the residents
could cross the main road wherever they pleased; where one could
conveniently snap a pack of cigarette from a street vendor at a
road intersection and threw the money out of the car windows;
where city bus drivers could use the road as though it was a
racing track. If they were caught for violating traffic
regulations, they could just make a deal with the traffic police
and get away with it.

But then, with the preparations for the golden year,
everything was arranged in such a way that the proper handling of
this 468 year-old city could be demonstrated. Cleanliness was
maintained, regulations were enforced, services were improved.
"Show that we are good citizens" people were lectured at every
opportunity. And that sentence worked magic. People decorated
their houses; cops were everywhere to keep everything orderly,
chasing any traffic violator and refusing bribes; city bus drives
closed their doors as per regulation and stopped only at
designated places; and if your car did not have the correct
number of passengers to justify entry to the restricted area, you
had to wait until 10 a.m. because the so called three-in-one
jockeys (those who are paid to be passengers) were bulldozed out
of sight.

"Just wait until this commotion is over, Madame," a taxi
driver consoled Martha. "Everything will be back to normal."

Normal condition for certain taxi drivers is when they can
grab passengers at the airport without waiting for their turn in
the Q-up line set by the port authority and refuse to use their
taxi meters so that they can charge the passengers at their own
terms.

"Regulations are just like mangoes; they are seasonal," a
driver said. And who can blame him? Implementation of regulations
seems to be inconsistent. Sometimes, you commit a serious
violation and get away with it, sometimes you are fined just
because you cross the road at the wrong place. The regulation
requiring bus drivers to close the doors is a perfect example of
inconsistency. This regulation has been opposed by both
passengers and bus drivers, because closing the doors of non-air-
conditioned buses in the formidable heat of Jakarta creates
speeding saunas. But the city authorities did not budge. In
practice, however, the regulation is not enforced consistently.
Most drivers (especially those with non-air-conditioned buses)
violate it, but the traffic authorities pretend not to notice.
Only on certain occasions do they make inspections; and the
drivers know when.

What the taxi driver said is right. Now, as the party is over,
everything is back to the way it used to be. Regulations are
slacking off. And so is the discipline of the people.

"Thank God, it's over," said Martha, parking her car on the
sidewalk of Jalan H.O.S Cokroaminoto in the Menteng Area, right
in front of a "NO PARKING" sign.

-- Carl Chairul