Use of bus lanes inconsistent

Use of bus lanes inconsistent

JAKARTA (JP): A member of the City Council urged the city
administration yesterday to be consistent in applying the special
lanes for buses and other public transportation means along major
streets.

Ronggo W. Thahir of the United Development Party faction told
Antara news agency that consistency in the application of bus
lanes is badly needed to help increase the mobility of the
vehicles transporting passengers.

"The city administration has to maintain the existence of bus
lanes along major thoroughfares to enable the buses to arrive at
their destinations on time," Ronggo said.

"If buses are not frequently trapped in traffic jams as we see
at present, it will attract more people to use bus services," he
said.

He added that motorists should be punished for using the bus
lanes.

He acknowledged that the condition of most buses operating in
the city remains poor, thereby discouraging people from using
their services.

Ronggo said that uncontrollable traffic jams are caused mainly
by an imbalance between the length of the city's roads and the
growth in the number of vehicles.

According to city administration data, the roads are extended
by an average of four percent per annum, while the number of
vehicles expands by 15 percent.

There are about 70,000 public transportation vehicles
operating in the city at present. The number of passengers
transported daily reaches 4.5 million, of whom 800,000 are
students, he said.

The many new roads built in the city have not yet solved the
problem of traffic jams because they only move the congestion
from one area to another, he said. (hhr)