Traffic sticker system

Traffic sticker system

I was disappointed that the Indonesian Consumers Association
(YLKI) has objected to the concept of the traffic sticker system
(The Jakarta Post, April 22), and I would ask them to reconsider
the matter before proposed discussions with City Council.

Transportation specialists worldwide consider that road
pricing, of which the sticker system is a simple example, offers
the fairest means of travel-demand management, provided that the
revenue is used to fund alternative transportation, such as
buses.

I agree that there are a number of concerns about the sticker
system, such as the technicalities of its legal status, the
impact of purchasing stickers, enforcement, ensuring funds do not
go astray and transparency in the use of the revenue.

However, if those issues can be satisfactorily dealt with, the
sticker system offers a valid way of charging more affluent
people for causing congestion (not for using the roads) and of
funding alternative transportation that does not cause as much
congestion. If YLKI viewed the scheme in this way, I feel they
should support the system and try to help find ways of making it
work satisfactorily.

Minister of Communications Giri Suseno Hardihardjono has
suggested that the sticker system should only apply to vehicles
not meeting the three-in-one requirement (The Jakarta Post, April
24). While there is much merit in this idea, maintaining the
required occupancy at three would probably mean a continuation of
the current "car jockeys".

I would suggest a higher figure to cover shared private
minivans, as opposed to cars. A figure of six occupants would
make it more expansive to use car jockeys than to buy a sticker
but would allow the use of minivans by companies etc. not to be
penalized.

ADRIAN M. PRINCE

Jakarta