The busway and tinted windows
Seen from the bus riders' point of view, busway project is a great idea. It is the only mean of transportation that can take them from Blok-M to Kota, and vice versa, without having to be caught in traffic. Even for some who cannot get a seat during the ride it is still pretty comfortable for them to be on the air-con bus that runs along the traffic-free corridor.
Should there be any complaints from them, it is only about the hand grippers that use straps instead of permanently stuck to the pole (that makes them move back and forth), and the absence of lower hand gripper for not-so-tall people. Nevertheless, this bus is definitely a much more improved ride.
However, people who have to take their car using the same road along the busway might feel the other way around. They have to face a worse-than-before traffic congestion during the non 3-in- 1 hours, and some must think of ways to get through the 3-in-1 zone.
One significant way to encourage these groups of people to take the bus, which is the aim of the project, is to keep a strict maintenance on the service. This includes the cleanliness of the bus and the maintenance of the AC, automatic doors, hand grippers, and seats. Also, the driver/conductor must limit the number of people getting on the bus, as too-full bus will not be comfortable for everyone riding.
The shelters must also be kept clean and the ticket machines maintained. As an addition, to avoid people scrambling into the bus, officials should consider putting dividers at the shelters leading to the door to help people queue up getting on the Trans Jakarta.
As for people who really must take their own cars, there is no question that they must absolutely obey the 3-in-1 regulation. And instead of changing the opacity of their tinted windows, they can help the police checking the cars by simply rolling down the windows and slowing down the speed when entering the 3-in-1 zone and whenever passing spots where police officers stand by guarding.
RITA OCTAVIANY MURNANE Jakarta