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