Three-in-one

When the 3-in-1 program began, there seemed to be a reduction in the number of cars traveling the Fatmawati-to-Sudirman corridor that I take each morning to work.

Maybe many drivers found alternate routes to their offices, which probably was one of the objectives of the program. The objectives never were explained well, probably because nobody really thought it out carefully. To be seen to be doing something was probably the main objective.

Too bad for drivers on those other routes, but OK for the rest of us. We paid an unofficial toll each day in the form of hiring a joki. Not too expensive, this toll got us to our destinations and the Rp 1,000 at least went to someone who needed it. That defeated the objective of the program, but the public as usual, was given little choice.

Lately, however, the police have chased the joki off the street. My office building is on Jl. Gatot Subroto, just east of the Semanggi Interchange, so every way into it requires three people in the car.

So, what are my alternatives? I could ride the bus, but nobody who has any other choice will do that. Dirty, crowded, dangerous, uncomfortable, unreliable -- choose any pejorative and it fits the public transportation non-system.

I could probably pay a "consideration fee" to a policeman, and be allowed to go on Sudirman with only two in the car. I'm sure it would be more expensive than paying a joki, and the recipient not nearly as deserving, but that may have been another of the original objectives of the program anyway.

But what I'll probably do is to invite my gardener to spend his weekday mornings riding with me to the office. Not nearly as interesting as visiting with a usually bright, ambitious and polite kid every morning, but at least it's legal. It will broaden my gardener's horizons, and although the bus ride back home won't be delightful, he'd probably rather do that than work in the yard.

Meanwhile, let's wait and see what scheme the authorities devise next to pretend to solve Jakarta's traffic problems.

GARY GENTRY

Jakarta