Jakarta Traffic: Odds & Evens days?

[jpatokal]

Interesting quote in the Pakistan article:

Jakarta solved its city traffic problems by a set of innovative and workable laws but then what laws ever applied to us?
While I'm surprised in the first place to hear that Jakarta has solved its traffic problems (why did it take me 1.5 hours to move 3 km last time I was there?), does anybody know what this set of innovative and workable laws is referring to? Jak certainly doesn't have anything in the way of functional public transport and the only parts of the road network that run more or less smoothly seem to be the elevated toll highways...

[GWR]

Metromini driver bears more responsibility than pilot

Kornelius Purba, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A bus driver who has been in the business for 25 years plying the same route in South Jakarta told me Monday a public transportation driver like him faces more responsibility and risk than an airplane pilot, who he described as "just a driver like me".

"Look at the Garuda pilot. He was only grounded by his company although his recklessness cost the lives of 21 passengers," the 47-years-old driver said.

What if he committed a similar fatal mistake as a bus driver?

"A mob would beat me if I was not lucky enough to run away. The police probably would feel guilty for the victims, if they did not torture and extort me. My boss only knows one word: 'fired,'" said the driver.

The driver continued: "When a pilot is killed in an accident, TV will treat him like a hero. Who will care about me if I am killed? The owner of my bus will cry, not for me but for his loss."

He has to deal with extortion attempts several times a time, from the Land Transportation Agency officers who will book him for 1,000 violations if he fails to bribe them at least Rp 5,000 (45 US cents), to the police and even military personnel during the Soeharto era.

According to the Batak driver, not a single airline pilot in Indonesia has been jailed for committing a professional mistake that claimed lives.

The National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) on Monday concluded that Garuda pilot M. Marwoto Komar was to blame for the fatal accident at Yogyakarta's Adi Sucipto Airport on March 7 this year when he ignored 15 warnings sounded by the ground proximity warning system.

The pilot attempted to land the Boeing 737-400 aircraft, which was carrying 133 passengers, two pilots and five flight attendants, with the aircraft's instrument landing system.

Five Australian nationals, who were flying to Yogyakarta for the visit of Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, were among the 21 killed in the accident.

"We'd like them to refer this matter now to a police investigation with a view to possible prosecutions," Downer said Tuesday in reaction to the KNKT's findings.

While in the past Downer has been successful in pressing Indonesia to get tougher in the war against terrorism, this time the Australian minister will likely be disappointed.

Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal was quick to warn the KNKT's findings could not serve as a legal basis for a criminal investigation or as evidence in a court of law.

"Based on ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) regulations, the report cannot be used for liabilities so it cannot be used for a police investigation. The report only served the purpose of preventing of future incidents or accidents," Reuters quoted the minister as saying Monday.

It means that at most the pilot will lose his job, but he will remain free from police investigation and extortion (using the bus driver's term).

As a very ordinary citizen and with limited intellectual capacity -- according to my math teachers -- it is difficult for me to understand why a pilot cannot be prosecuted for the same type a fatal mistake that would see a bus driver tossed in jail, if he made it past the mob. Why can't the law touch someone responsible for the death of passengers?

The number of airplane accidents in the country has increased sharply in the last several years, following an explosion in the number of low-cost carriers.

But Monday was the first time the KNKT announced the details of its findings on an air accident when it delivered its verdict on the Garuda pilot. In many cases the government simply announced an air crash investigation would take a long time to complete until people forgot about the accident, only remembering after another tragedy had occurred.

On Jan. 1, 2007, an Adam Air Boeing 737-400 crashed and went missing in the waters off Sulawesi. All 102 passengers and crew members on board died in the accident. Only after nine months was the plane's black box recovered.

In September 2005, a Boeing 737-200 belonging to Mandala Airlines crashed as it took off from Polonia Airport in Medan, North Sumatra, killing 94 passengers and five crew members on board, and 51 people in the residential area the plane plowed into.

There has never been a comprehensive explanation offered for either accident. Rumors did circulate that the Mandala aircraft was overloaded with durians.

The behavior of pilots reportedly is often not very different from that of the notorious public transportation drivers in Jakarta.

Anyway, if you ask me if I have any concrete solutions to eliminate or at least minimize air accidents in the future, my answer is: No. Even if you ask Minister Jusman, most likely he would be unable to give a better answer. However as an Indonesian, who is always supposed to be religious, I can give a religious answer: Pray more!

The writer can be reached at purba@thejakartapost.com.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20071024.A08&irec=7

[GWR]

City explores ERP traffic system

Mustaqim Adammrah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta is being urged to follow the lead of cities like London, Stockholm and Singapore in introducing an electronic road pricing (ERP) system to ease chronic traffic congestion.

Budi Kuntjoro of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and Darmaningtyas of the Transportation Institute (Intrans) said an ERP system would be effective in reducing Jakarta's notorious traffic.

Budi, a transportation expert and the project director at the ITDP, praised administration plans to introduce ERP.

"It's time for the administration to work on reducing traffic chaos by limiting and controlling the use of private vehicles instead of expanding the roads.

"There will never be enough roads to accommodate all the cars, even if they are continuously expanded," he said.

The city administration is making other, largely unsuccessful, attempts to ease traffic, including opening busway lanes to motorists during peak travel times.

On Tuesday, the second day motorists were allowed onto busway lanes, there was little visible difference in the traffic.

Erlangga Rismantojo, who drove along Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said through to Jl. Mampang in South Jakarta, said traffic was just as bad despite the new policy.

Budi said ERP was one solution for dealing with chronic traffic congestion and preventing the capital from coming to total gridlock by 2014.

Under the ERP system, motorists would be charged for using Jakarta's main thoroughfares.

Private vehicles account for 98 percent of all vehicles on the capital's roads, but they only transport half of all passengers, said Budi.

Darmaningtyas agreed Jakarta needed ERP, however, he questioned whether now was the right time to introduce the system.

"I believe the administration will eventually be able to implement the system, but not in a rush," he said.

He said implementing ERP would take time because the administration needed to lobby the Finance Ministry to issue the necessary regulations that would allow it to collect fees from motorists.

"On top of that, the administration will need a great deal of money," he said.

Singapore, he said, required at least Rp 6 trillion (US$654 million) for the procurement, preparation and operation of its ERP system.

Jakarta Transportation Agency deputy head Udar Pristono said the agency would complete its feasibility study for the ERP system by the end of this year, which is itself expected to cost Rp 1 trillion, Warta Kota newspaper reported Tuesday.

Darmaningtyas said the administration should first focus on optimizing the operations of all 10 busway corridors, including the three still under construction, before moving to the ERP project.

Sharing Darmaningtyas' opinion, the deputy chairman of the City Council's Commission D on development, Mukhayar, said the right time for the administration to implement the ERP system "is when all public transportation modes are giving good and decent service".

"The right time also depends on the availability of mass rapid transportation modes," he said.

The ERP system, he said, can only be applied on roads where "decent" public transportation is available.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20071114.@01&irec=0

[jpatokal]

Punitive road pricing only works when there is an alternative to driving your own car, and in Jakarta there really isn't.

But it's better than the latest harebrained scheme implemented this Monday, which allowed regular vehicles to use the dedicated BRT lanes during rush hour. The results were predictable: the BRT slowed to a crawl, but there was no visible improvement to the jams. It was supposed to be a month-long trial, but it looks like it'll be scrapped within a week...

On the upside, the BRT does work pretty well when there are no cars in the way. Thamrin/Sudirman (Jakarta's Sukhumvit) were completely jammed yesterday evening, but I zipped past in a BRT bus in no time at all.

[Yappofloyd]

^ It would be good that the stupid trial to allow vehicles to use BRT during rush hour gets dumped by the end of the week.

ERP won't get a runner in Jakarta. The article should start with; Jakartans could breathe if they had a MRT and LRT to complement the BRT in a proper intergrated network.

No new laws on car use in Jakarta: Governor The Jakarta Post, Jakarta 16/11/07
Jakartans can breathe a sigh of relief as they will be able to continue using their cars and motorcycles freely until the construction of infrastructure related to the mass rapid transportation system has been completed. Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said Thursday the city administration had decided not to issue any new bylaws regarding the use of private vehicles.

"Fauzi, the governor, believes it would be unwise to pass these types of laws before a suitable transportation system was in place for the public," Fauzi said, referring to himself in the third person. "A good policy implemented at the wrong time would not be effective," he added. Fauzi made the statement after attending a meeting about the city's traffic management problems with legislators from the House of Representatives' Commission V overseeing transportation, telecommunications and people's housing affairs.

Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Adang Firman and the Transportation Ministry's director general for land transportation Iskandar Abubakar also attended the meeting. The officials were invited to attend the meeting by House members eager to discuss what was being done to ease traffic congestion in the city.

Traffic jams are a major problem in Jakarta, with experts predicting the number of vehicles in the city will exceed available road space by 2014. The total length of Jakarta's roads is 27,000 kilometers. The city's roads increase in length by 2 percent on average every year. In contrast to these figures, there are currently 5.5 million registered vehicles in Jakarta. During the last five years, the number of cars on Jakarta's roads has increased by 95 percent each year. This month the city has been hit by widespread traffic congestion caused by the construction of several new busway corridors.

Fauzi said the city administration was still evaluating limitation policies on the use of private vehicles, such as progressive tax laws on private cars or Electronic Road Pricing (ERP). Progressive tax laws on private cars would mean families had to pay additional fees for every extra vehicle they purchased. Fauzi said Jakarta formulated a gubernatorial decree relating to progressive tax in 1996 but it had not been implemented. The city administration is currently reconsidering the option.

Under ERP systems, car and motorcycle users pay tolls when they pass certain roads. How much road users pay depends on how busy the stretch of road they are using is. Under the system, vehicles are tracked by pre-installed electronic devices. Another possible solution to Jakarta's traffic woes could be the introduction of an odd and even number plate system, as is used in Bogota, Columbia.

Under such a system, cars with odd number plates can be used on certain days, while those with even number plates can be used on all other days. "We plan to introduce new policies in the future, but ... timing is crucially important," Fauzi said. "However, we won't be standing around doing nothing while we wait for the right time to introduce a new system. We'll keep on working to make sure the system we choose is the right one." (anw)

[GWR]

Integrated train-busway system proposed
Mustaqim Adamrah , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 06/24/2008 10:01

With each passing day, commuters in Jakarta get ever closer to one another. And traffic congestion continues to deteriorate to levels approaching total gridlock.

With a population of approximately 10 million, Jakarta ranks as one of 16 Asian metropolises -- up from only seven in 1950 -- and one of 30 global metropolises, according to the Indonesian Transportation Society's Bambang Susantono.

The capital, like other megacities, tells the same tale of daily traffic jams that are the combined results of rapid vehicle growth, minimal road expansion and mismanagement of the public transportation system, Susantono said.

In 1995, there were approximately 90 cars for every 1,000 people and approximately 80 kilometers of freeway. By comparison, New York had 400 cars for every 1,000 people and 2,186 kilometers of freeway, he said.

"Both cities have chronic traffic jams," he told The Jakarta Post recently.

He said decades of studies had shown a rail-based transportation system was vital to a densely populated city with high rates of commuter activity, regardless of the high implementation cost to a developing country like Indonesia.

"A comprehensive railway system is already in place, traversing most of the greater Jakarta area. We just need to make the best use of it," he said.

He stressed the government and administrations that made up Greater Jakarta needed to cooperate to maximize existing railways in the area and to make those railways serve as feeders for commuters to reach the heart of the capital.

Commuters from Jakarta's outskirts could use the capital's blue line railway system - also known as the circle line - to travel to other points within the city, he said.

Revived last December after two decades of inactivity, the blue line begins and ends at Manggarai station in South Jakarta, stopping by 13 other stations on it's circuitous route, including Dukuh Atas station in Central Jakarta.

"The blue line should help commuters travel to other places within Jakarta when they arrive, for instance, at Dukuh Atas," Susantono said.

Dukuh Atas station is a future transit hub for various transportation systems, including the blue line railway system, the electric train system, the bus rapid transit (BRT) system, the mass rapid transit (MRT) system, the monorail system and the waterway system.

Susantono said the blue line railway needed an upgrade to attract more commuters.

"The blue line trains only run in a clockwise direction. Double tracks should be laid so a counterclockwise route can be run at the same time. And the frequency of the trains needs to be increased," he said.

He called on authorities to develop a double track rail system to separate commuter trains and inter-city trains.

"Railways must be built connecting Cikarang, east of Jakarta, where many factories are located, to Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta to facilitate smoother logistics for manufacturers," he said.

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said his administration was dedicated to setting up a comprehensive railway network to help ease traffic and transportation problems.

The city administration and Transportation Ministry are currently working on a number of railway projects in the capital.

Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal has asked Fauzi to expedite land acquisitions for some of the projects, including for a double track railway system.

The ministry needs to free up 13,000 square meters of land between Klender, East Jakarta, and Bekasi, east of Jakarta. The entire double track project will require 140,000 square meters of land to be freed up, Wendy Aritenang, the ministry's director general for railway transportation, said.

The project will cost Rp 3 trillion (US$322.58 million), and will connect Jatinegara in East Jakarta to Bekasi by 2012, he said.

The ministry also plans to revive a railway system that will provide direct access to Tanjung Priok port.

For this project, the ministry still needs to reclaim 6,000 square meters of a total of 20,000 square meters of land required, Wendy said.

The ministry is also developing a railway system to connect Manggarai station with Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The railway will also pass through Dukuh Atas and is expected to cost Rp 2 trillion.

Bambang Pujantiyo from the City Transportation Council warned railways would only solve part of Jakarta's transportation problems, and integration of all transportation systems was necessary to tackle the issue in the long term.

"Jakarta's transportation systems are all over the place. Railways, the BRT system, the planned MRT system and other transportation systems overlap each other," he told the Post.

"Those transportation systems need to be integrated to be as efficient as possible."

However, Fauzi said his administration would only begin the integration process after the launch of the MRT system in 2015.

Pujantiyo said having the blue line up and running was an indication the city was on the right track and could begin integrating the blue line with the BRT system, more popularly known as the busway.

He said the line needed to be developed into a major railway system for commuters from Greater Jakarta to reach other places in the capital.

"Commuters from outside Jakarta can use Greater Jakarta trains to get here, and then use the blue line to travel to other points within the city," he said.

He said the next step for the administration was to link train stations with busways in a route running parallel to the blue line.

"One of the main weaknesses of the city's transportation system is the lack of access between train stations," he said.

He said if all stations served by the blue line and Greater Jakarta rail networks were also connected by the BRT, the resulting network would form a "spiderweb" system.

"It's very common to see cities implement a concept in which a circular line connects several key stations, from which other railways radiate out," Pujantiyo said.

He criticized the administration for building the BRT system first rather than a rail-based system, but said the implementation of the spiderweb system could still prove effective.

"The administration should relocate existing busway shelters closer to train stations and place future busway shelters similarly," he said.

"That's a lot cheaper and easier than relocating a train station."
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/06/24/integrated-trainbusway-system-proposed.html

[Yappofloyd]

Better late than never, an intergrated Planning & Transport Management Framework to cover the areas outside Jakarta city limits. Given estimates that the city of 10 million has nearly the same number of people travelling in and out of Jakarta every day such co-ordination of planning regimes is fundamental.

New decree allows greater possibilities for city commuters Tifa Asrianti , The Jakarta Post 01/09/08
The recently issued presidential decree on spatial planning in the capital and surrounding areas allows for the development of other modes of mass transit, an expert says, to provide millions of commuters with more options.

Bambang Susantono of the Indonesian Transportation Society on Sunday told The Jakarta Post the decree "would allow the monorail, mass rapid transit (MRT) system and busway networks to expand into surrounding cities". Bambang added that, "the administrations could share the costs of the expansion." Until now, Jakarta administration has only been able to develop transportation systems within its administrative territory, even though each day the capital sees millions of commuters from neighboring cities.

Such commuters have so far relied on trains (the services of state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api), private vehicles and public buses traversing toll roads. The decree, issued Aug. 12, 2008 by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, sets new regulations for spatial planning in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, Puncak and Cianjur (Jabodetabekpunjur). Bambang said the decree could serve as the legal basis for the Jabodetabek transportation master plan which was already being discussed. "The discussions will cover a revision of the 2004 integrated transportation master plan (SITRAMP). The revision, made possible by JICA, will add transportation elements not previously included, such as the busway and monorail."

The revised master plan, Bambang added, would be signed by all heads of administrations concerned, such as the regents of Tangerang and Bekasi. Article 15 of the new decree sets out laws for the development of mass transit systems to connect Jakarta and surrounding areas. It also stipulates that the administrations should improve the railway network in certain areas to serve commuters better. Bambang said the administration should focus on commuter train services connecting with the inner city transport system, such as the busway.

He said the railway network expansion was possible under the amended Railway Law -- which stipulates that private and local administrations could develop the railway network. "The decree will push neighboring regions to develop bus feeder systems and train stations for commuters," he said. Bambang cited the case of residential developers in Bintaro and Serpong who planned to construct a railway link to Jakarta. The train would stop at Dukuh Atas station. The developers also planned a shuttle bus service to take passengers from the station to Sudirman and Mega Kuningan (both in the central business district).

Besides regulating transportation, it also sets out regulations for water supply, sewage, flood controls, garbage management, telecommunication networks and electricity. The decree also has a provision for conservation areas in Jabodetabekpunjur. The new decree will be valid for 20 years and will be assessed every five years. Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said his administration was taking inspiration from neighboring administrations. "It will take some time before this is fully implemented. I'm glad the decree has finally been issued. I hope we can implement it consistently," he said.

A similar response was heard from Deputy Governor Prijanto who said the new regulations would unite development in Jakarta and its greater areas, including the revitalization of Ciawi dam to provide clean water as well as flood controls. "I hadn't heard about the issuance of the decree. For me, it's a good sign to start working together with adjacent regions, especially in spatial planning," he said.

[Yappofloyd]

‘Yes, we don’t provide good public transit’ by Prodita Sabarini The Jakarta Post 17/06/09
Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo admitted Tuesday that his administration has yet to provide an adequate public transport system needed to manage Jakarta’s notorious traffic jams. At city hall on Tuesday, Fauzi said the solution to the capital’s traffic problems was to encourage people to use public transport and leave their private cars or motorcycles at home.

However, Fauzi said that he was currently unable to stipulate regulations that limited the use of private vehicles. “As I am yet to be able to provide adequate public transport, I cannot pass regulations that forbid people to use private cars,” he said.

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) has voiced concern over the growing numbers of vehicles in the city. The ITDP said that if the vehicle growth rate in Jakarta continues to hover around ten percent annually, without any upgrades in public transport and traffic management, the city will be paralyzed by total gridlock by 2014. Jakarta’s roads are growing, but only by 0.01 percent per year. Entering two years of his tenure, Fauzi’s administration’s efforts to provide public transport is still far from accommodating the public’s needs.

However, the administration has completed the construction of Transjakarta busway lanes 8 and 9, repaired bus stops and busway lanes in corridors 1 to 7, as well as repairing the Transjakarta bus depot in Daan Mogot, West Jakarta — all legacies of former governor Sutiyoso — with a budget of Rp 86.87 billion.

Fauzi had promised to reduce widespread traffic jams by accelerating the construction of busway lanes in the first 100 days of his term after being elected in 2007. However, continued delays in the construction of corridors 8 and 9 have put back the start dates from September 2008 to Febuary 2009. The city’s best hope of an effective public transport system, the Transjakarta, has suffered operational flaws. Last Thursday more than a hundred Transjakarta buses on Corridor 4 to Corridor 7 stopped operating for several hours due to a lack of fuel, following a late payment from the Transjakarta busway management body (BLU). The 109 halted buses were operated and supplied by PT Jakarta Trans Metropolitan (JTM) and PT Jakarta Mega Trans (JMT).

Fauzi said projects addressing traffic problems in Jakarta were still being prepared. He said construction of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), which will have 12 stations along the Lebak Bulus-Dukuh Atas route, comprising of eight elevated stations on a 10.5-kilometer stretch of track above ground, and four stations on a 4-kilometer stretch underground, would begin next year. Japan is providing 48.2 billion yen (US$ 496 million) in loans for the construction of the MRT project scheduled to be completed by 2016. Meanwhile, Fauzi added that the nation-wide train revitalization project by the state-owned railway company was not scheduled until 2012.

Fauzi said that to address the increasing number of motorbikes in the capital, he would in the future, follow the steps of the administration in Beijing by banning bikes in certain areas in Jakarta. “The direction we’re going for is to ban motorcycles in some areas, such as in Beijing, to reduce the traffic burden,” he said.


Sustainable Transportation System Needed in Jakarta, 27 May 2009 By Ratna Yunita, The Jakarta Post
Paralyzing traffic jams and severe air pollution are the most frequent answers when people are asked what they know about Jakarta. Motorized vehicle ownerships increase in line with a rise in income per capita. The more raises, the more cars and motorcycles are on roads. Motorized vehicle ownership is growing at 9 percent every year, with more than 1,500 new registrations being filed a day for motorcycles and 500 a day for cars.

There are diverse reasons that drive Jakartans to own cars or motorbikes, such as the symbol of power or wealth it offers, privacy, etc. This phenomenon is unavoidable but should be well-managed in order to have a more user-friendly and livable Jakarta. Solving the problem of traffic congestion through an integrated sustainable transportation system is the main concern of the Jakarta government and citizenry nowadays.

It involves economic considerations (transportation system that supports economic growth), social considerations (transportation system that takes into account not only technical engineering but also social engineering) and environmental aspects (transportation system that is environmental friendly) and can be narrowed down to a push-and-pull strategy.

Some people consider building more roads the best solution to traffic congestion in Jakarta. However, once a new road is built it amazingly attracts more traffic. Drivers are incredibly sensitive to changes in traffic conditions as mentioned by author Tom Vanderbilt (2008). They can easily adapt to road network changes. A new highway might be a relief for drivers who wanted alternative roads, but it will bring more and more drivers afterwards.

Seoul and Jakarta have similarities in terms of density and congestion. Therefore, it is very interesting to learn how Seoul introduced transportation reform to create a more user-friendly city. Up to 2003, the Seoul metropolitan government kept building new roads, underpasses, overpasses and freeways equaling 8,000 km in length to cope with more than 30 million commutes per day. However, this did not solve the problem of congestion as people continued to buy cars due to the availability of more roads.

Lee Myung-bak a.k.a. “Mr. Bulldozer”, the former mayor of Seoul and now the president of South Korea, reformed Seoul’s transportation system by using the “push-and-pull” strategy. The strategy to “push” Seoul’s citizens out of their cars was conducted through a reduction in the number of roads, such as the Cheonggyecheon highway demolition in 2003. It restored 5.8 kilometers of waterway and historical pedestrian bridges, created extensive green space and continues to promote public art installations.

Seoul’s transportation reform did not stop there. The Seoul metropolitan government had the courage to transform a big junction in front of Seoul Plaza into a huge pedestrian square in 2004. By limiting traffic flow, it has reduced passenger car usage. The government also introduced the “Leave your car at home once-a-week campaign” as part of the Transportation Demand Management policy. Car owners who choose to leave their cars at home once a week get a sticker stating the day of the week the car is to be kept off the road and in return the car owner gets a 10 percent tax cut. To pull people onto public transportation, the Seoul metropolitan government constructed the 14.5 km Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line in 2003, which serves the route of the freeway. The BRT system was also integrated with the existing subway system so as to cut the use of private vehicles. It is 536 km in length and serves more than 4.5 million passengers per day.

In 2004, Jakarta built a Bus Rapid Transit system, namely the busway operated by TransJakarta. The busway has the potential to change the city’s immobilizing congestion to one of mobility. One bus carries 85 to 160 passengers at maximum capacity, resulting in lower emission per capita compared to private car drivers. From January to April 2009, there was an average of 230,000 busway passengers on weekdays.

The Jakarta administration keeps improving the busway’s level of service in order to create an efficient city with clean air and reliable and comfortable transportation. Being a safe, reliable and comfortable mass transportation mode is not enough for the busway. It must also be well-integrated with other transportation modes. Busway stops should be integrated with other modes of public transportation, such as electric trains.

Other infrastructure facilities that need to be taken into account are good pedestrian access, which means improving roadside footpaths, providing parking facilities for non-motorized vehicles, like bicycles, especially at main terminals. Integration with other transportation modes and strong land use planning will help reduce congestion.

Moreover, the government cannot move alone to realize an integrated transportation system. It should welcome all elements, including the private sector, to support the system in various roles. For instance, busway user groups have been involved in a public education campaign by promoting lifestyle changes, such as taking public transportation on a daily basis, to create a more user-friendly and livable city. In addition, the private sector could encourage employees to take public transportation not only for cost efficiency but also for environmental purposes.

For example, some companies have introduced a “Go Green” policy by providing bicycle parking on their premises for employees who cycle from home. Other companies have arranged employee carpools or telecommuting in which employees can work from home on particular days. An advertisement in Germany states “You are not stuck in a traffic jam. You are the traffic jam”. As part of a traffic jam, motorists limit other’s access and cause pollution. Therefore, having an integrated public transportation system that is complemented by strong attention to the quality of service is the answer to turn Jakarta into a more user-friendly and livable city.

[Yappofloyd]

The wait for more reliable public transportation The Jakarta Post 31/07/09
With the city lacking an adequate public transportation system, being a responsible traveler in Jakarta becomes a challenge. To reduce one's carbon footprint, one can opt to use public transportation or non-motorized vehicles. This would reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, as well as ease traffic by reducing the number of vehicles on the streets. The challenge, however, begins here. Using bicycles may be noble, but is very hard work, as there are no bicycle lanes in the city.

Meanwhile, a trip on public transportation from the outskirts of the capital to business districts downtown would include minivan rides before transferring to public minibuses like Metro mini or Kopaja, or the Transjakarta. Minivan drivers pick up passengers from wherever they want along their route. The driver often halts for a couple of minutes to wait for passengers, at the expense of other passengers' time. On a bus, the conductor pushes people in like sardines in a can, despite the bus being overcrowded. The Metro mini and Kopaja minibuses, which don't have their own lanes, crawl along in traffic jams alongside air-conditioned private cars. Bus passengers, meanwhile, are left cramped and sweating profusely.

The Transjakarta is only slightly better. However, an increase in passengers and no new buses added to the fleet mean there are more long and dangerous queues where people push and shove to get into the bus. According to the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda), the government's halfhearted attempt to provide public transportation is the source of the problem. "There's no political will from the government to prioritize public transportation over private vehicles," says Rudy Tehamihardja, head of Organda's land transportation and infrastructure division.

He adds private motorists are still given preferential treatment, with the city administration even allowing cars to use some busway corridors. Under the new traffic law, passed this year, the task of providing public transportation lies with the government. Rudy, however, says the law does a shoddy job of detailing just how the government should do this.

With the exception of the Transjakarta system, in which the government is fully involved, with the help of a private consortium, the government's only role in public transportation is to establish routes and issue permits to transportation companies, leaving the management of public transportation to them. "We have to pay vehicle tax, import duty tax and all kinds of fees," Rudy says. "The government, which is supposed to be responsible for public transportation, taxes those who actually provide the service. Isn't that funny? "They tax us and don't subsidize any transportation services whatsoever," he goes on. "And when they talk about transportation services, they always paint us as the culprits, while they're the ones not doing their job."

Rudy adds the poor quality of transportation services, where drivers pick up passengers wherever they please, is a result of the lack of government help. "We have to cover the investments we make," he says.

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy's (ITDP) Deni Prasetyo Nugroho says the system in which drivers hand over their daily earnings to bus owners is to blame. He points out that ideally, drivers should only be responsible for driving the vehicle safely, comfortably and quickly, to avoid accidents, and should not be mired in the financial aspect of the business. "This is what needs to be changed," Deni says. "The government should be the ones bearing the brunt of the responsibility, because they have the greatest capacity and the most complex task. And obviously public services should be provided by the government."

He adds a new system in which the government buys services has been implemented with the Transjakarta, where operators work based on mileage, and not the number of passengers. "If this can be implemented in all public transportation services, we can reach a desirable level of service," Deni says.
The ITDP's Harya Satyaka blames the current rent-seeking revenue system for all the shortcomings of the transportation system. He also points out it violates the labor law.

He says the government must establish a minimum service standard and "go out of its way to reform inside out. They must live up to the mandate and be a strong enforcer."The city administration, in a discussion about a transportation feeder system, said it would develop feeder lines to integrate the Transjakarta bus system with regular public buses starting next year. It remains unclear what the arrangement will be like between the government and private transportation companies.

Hendah Sunugroho, head of the Jakarta Transportation Agency's land transportation division, says the administration and technical restructuring of buses and minivans will not be the same as for the busway system, where transportation operators are paid by mileage. "But the service should be the same," he says. He added an integrated ticketing system will allow passengers to buy one ticket for their entire route, even if they have to transfer between regular buses and Transjakarta buses.

Hendah says the feeder system will be developed after the city administration has completed the construction of the busway system. To date, the city has finished 10 of 15 planned busway corridors, and says it will complete all the construction by next year. Until that day comes, residents will have to bear with the sadly iconic features of the capital: poor transportation services and traffic jams.

[Yappofloyd]

Great idea!

Taxes sure traffic cure: Experts The Jakarta Post 04/09/09

Progressive vehicle taxes could help build transportation infrastructure that would solve Jakarta's traffic problems, experts said Thursday. "Progressive taxes would discourage people from buying more cars" Nurzul Achjan, a researcher from the University of Indonesia's Faculty of Economics, told a seminar. The government is planning to impose progressive vehicle taxes in 2010. The tax scheme will require Jakartans to pay progressively higher taxes for each vehicle they buy.

Under the new scheme, a resident who owns multiple cars will pay an up to 10 percent tax - twice the current ceiling rate of 5 percent - for each vehicle they buy after the first. This system was proposed under a new regional tax law that was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this month. "The government can use the funds from the progressive taxes to facilitate the building of an MRT *mass rapid transit*," Nuzul said.

The government is hoping to begin the construction of a MRT system next year in its latest attempt to tackle the city's chronic traffic problem. It is hoped the MRT, a rail system which will run between Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, and Dukuh Atas, Central Jakarta, will discourage citizens from using private vehicles, the high number of which contributes to the city's notorious traffic.

Road construction in Jakarta, which grows at a rate of around 0.01 percent a year, is unable to keep up with the number of vehicles in the capital, which grows at an average of 11 percent per year. Each day, over 9 million cars and motorcycles roam Jakarta's streets. According to a research done by the Japan International Corporation Agency and the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), Jakarta will see total traffic paralysis - permanent gridlock - by 2014, unless the government takes serious steps to improve public transportation.
However, the road to better roads will not be smooth, Tulus Abadi, from the Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI), said at the event. "The government must have strong political will to impose the progressive taxes because there are many that will oppose to this system, including car manufacturers and dealers," he said.

Nuzul said the government must ensure the money from the progressive tax goes toward public transport. "Currently, the money from vehicle taxes are used to finance random projects," he said. The MRT would have been finished a long time ago had the administration managed taxes more appropriately, Nuzul said. "If money gained from vehicle taxes in previous years had gone towards funding the MRT, the construction would have been finished by now," he said.

In 2009, the administration expects vehicle taxes will contribute up to Rp 2.8 trillion (US$277 million) to the city's budget, Kompas reported. Some residents see many loopholes in the progressive tax scheme, including the fact that it can be avoided if members of a family living in the same house register vehicles in their own name. (dis)

[Yappofloyd]

New govt urged to fix public transportation services by Indah Setiawati , The Jakarta Post 07/09/09

Indonesia’s public transportation systems need urgent reforms, an issue that should be on the immediate agenda of the new central government, experts say. Transportation revitalization should include reforms to public transport financial management, Harya Setyaka S. Dillon said at a journalist workshop organized by the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) on the weekend.

The current system, by which drivers pay rental fees to public vehicle owners, should be changed to a per-kilometer rate controlled by the administration, he said. “The government must make a regulation to replace the old [system],” Harya said. If the move required a post in the city budget, Harya said, the expense was worth the improvements to public service it would bring.

A per-kilometer rate would guarantee drivers’ and transportation operators’ incomes, thus improving services, which in turn would maintain loyal users and attract private vehicle owners to switch to public transportation, Harya said. Under present conditions, many of Jakarta’s public vehicles, including minibuses and minivans, offer passengers less-than-comfortable travel experiences and threaten other road users in their attempts to get as many passengers as possible.

As well as stopping anywhere they please, public vehicles often stop for extended periods while waiting for passengers. The introduction of a per-kilometer rate would see the elimination of inefficient routes with too many public transport vehicles, Harya said. Conflicts between the administration and transportation businesses may arise, but the government needs to be firm in its resolve to bring benefits to the public, he said.

Ellen S.W. Tangkudung, the head of the University of Indonesia’s transportation laboratory (part of the school of civil engineering), said a per-kilometer rate was feasible but recommended the administration reform its route permits for transportation operators. “Route permits should not be lifetime rights. The administration needs to be able to reform inefficient routes,” she said, adding that bus routes that intersect Transjakarta busway routes should be used as busway feeders.

The central government must be financially involved in the revitalization of public transportation in cities, MTI’s Bambang Susantono said. “The central government needs to address public transportation issues,” Bambang said.

MTI would submit its recommendations to the newly elected government, Bambang said. The new government, which takes up office as of Oct. 20, should initiate public transportation reforms in its first 100 days in office, he said.

The recommendations include the finalization of government regulations and ministerial decrees following the passing of a new law on the transportation system. Another recommendation is a blueprint for urban transportation networks in five major cities, including the use of environmentally friendly public vehicles.
“The government should consider the development of vehicles that use natural gas or electricity. If possible, public transportation should be included in the clean development mechanism,” he said.

Included in the blueprint is a commitment to building community-based public transportation, which means the rights and comfort of the public are prioritized. The last recommendation MTI plans to propose is a railway revitalization program for commuter and inner-city trains in cities which have railway system like Jakarta.

[Yappofloyd]

Alternative route to Soekarno-Hatta airport opens by Hasyim Widhiarto , The Jakarta Post 23/02/10
Section West 1 (W1) of the new Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) highway was opened on Monday, providing an alternative route to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten. The turnpike stretches from Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, to Penjaringan, North Jakarta.

Designed mainly to facilitate passengers going to and from the airport, the 9.7-kilometer turnpike is also expected to ease severe traffic congestion at Tomang junction and around Penjaringan area as well as helping trucks and containers plying the Tangerang — Tanjung Priok Port route cut delivery time.

In his inauguration remark, Vice President Boediono said he hoped to see the highway contribute to the country’s economy. “A vast transportation network will make the country’s logistical distribution systems more efficient,” he said. “In turn, the price of goods and services could become cheaper.”

The construction of the Rp 2.3 trillion highway section took 18 months. To raise public awareness about the alternative road, section Wl’s operators allowed motorists to use the toll road for free between Friday and Sunday.

After the official opening, the new road will cost motorists between Rp 7,000 (74 US cents) and Rp 21,500, the same price that applies to other sections of the JORR. The highway operator is initially expecting to see 10,000 vehicles pass through the section each day, with that figure increasing to about 50,000 a day over the next six months.

Snezana Swasti, 26, a city resident who had tried driving along the highway section on Saturday, said the section could help her cut up to 25 minutes travelling time from Ancol, North Jakarta to her house in Kembangan, West Jakarta. “I think I would take the section again when I want to go to Soekarno-Hatta airport,” Snezana, told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

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[jpatokal]

The construction of the Rp 2.3 trillion highway section took 18 months.
Bullpucky! They've been building this since at least 2006.

[Yappofloyd]

Two seperate articles highlighting why public transport is so important in order to solve the acute transport mess that is private transport in Jakarta.

Plan to build new roads a mistake: Experts by Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post, 29/05/10
The city administration’s plan to construct two elevated roads connecting Jl. Pangeran Antasari to Blok M and Kampung Melayu to Tanah Abang has been met by criticism from experts who say the plan will worsen already drastic traffic congestion in the capital.

Darmaningtyas, the director of the Institute of Transportation Studies, said the city should cancel the plan, which would cost an estimated Rp 2.2 trillion (US$238 million), and instead use the money on improving the Transjakarta busway service, bicycle lanes and inner city rail.

“There is no proof in any other country that building more roads solves traffic congestion,” he told The Jakarta Post recently, adding that the new roads would encourage more people to buy private vehicles. Darmaningtyas said that modern cities in other countries typically preferred to develop bicycle lanes and improve mass public transportation, such as busses and trains.

Jachrizal Sumabrata, a sustainable urban transport expert, said the city’s plan to build the elevated roads showed the administration prioritized private vehicle owners and did not care about the environment. “That huge amount of money would be taken from the city budget. It should be allocated to the development of means of transportation that produce less emissions,” he said. Jachrizal said the planned roads would not be able to cope with the estimated expansion of private vehicles in the capital, and therefore the administration should seek a more efficient and cleaner way to ease traffic.

However, Governor Fauzi Bowo was of a different opinion. During a meeting with members of the Jakarta Chapter of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin Jakarta) last year, he explained the need to build more roads. “Our capacity to expand the roads in Jakarta is less than 1 percent, while traffic in Jakarta grows between 9 to 11 percent [per year], how can we cope with that? Even Superman wouldn’t be able to do anything unless he built elevated roads, and that’s what we’re doing,” he said.

Many elevated roads in Jakarta are eyesores, including those that run either side of the Dirgantara statue in Pancoran, South Jakarta. Darmaningtyas said he suspected Fauzi was proposing the road construction plan to give work to the factions and companies that supported him when he was elected in the 2007 gubernatorial election.

However, Deputy Governor Prijanto rebutted the claim, saying the governor would not be able to interfere in the bidding process because it would be conducted transparently. “That suspicion is not true. We plan to build the flyovers to ease congestion,” he said. He said infrastructure and transportation in the city was far behind major cities abroad.

To tackle congestion, Prijanto said, the administration would construct roads, develop public transportation, including the Transjakarta busway and the mass rapid transit and apply transportation policies such as the Electronic Road Pricing system.

The Transjakarta bus service is still plagued by perennial problems such as cars using the designated bus lanes and a lack of gas stations for the buses. The Jakarta administration, which is now conducting bids to procure busses for two new bus corridors, has not announced construction plans for a further five more planned corridors. There are eight busway corridors in service at present.

The central government has not yet approved the Electronic Road Pricing system, which would replace the current 3-in-1 policy, which requires cars travelling through certain busy areas during rush hour to have at least three people in them.

Public transportation only hope to tackle motorcycle boom by Eny Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, 29/05/10
The Jakarta administration must work quickly to build a credible public transportation network if it is to curb the rising number of motorcycles in the capital, which are now as numerous the city's residents, experts say.

Ellen S. W. Tangkudung, a transportation expert from the University of Indonesia, said Friday she blamed the city's poor public transportation network for the ballooning number of motorcycles. "People would probably not switch to use private vehicles if public transportation was reliable," she said. She said motorcycle numbers had been increasing for six years throughout the country, driven by affordable credit schemes. Today, a new motorcycle can be purchased with an initial down payment of Rp 500,000 (US$50).

She said the city administration must improve public transportation, including by allocating a higher budget to procure public transportation vehicles. At the moment the city can only supply a subsidy for fuel and spare parts to provide an affordable public transportation service," she said. More than 890 motorcycles are registered every day on average in Jakarta, according to Jakarta Police data.

As of May, there were 8,087,118 registered motorcycles in the city, just short of the number of people living here, which was 8.5 million as of May, according to the City Population and Civil Registration Agency. Police data shows that about 1 million new motorcycles are registered every year.

This extraordinarily high number of motorcycles has exacerbated the city's already awful traffic, especially during rush hour. Matters become even worse when it rains and motorcyclists seek shelter under overpasses or bridges as evidenced this week when scores of motorcyclists stopped under a bridge on Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, causing heavy congestion.

Chairman of the Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association Gunadi Sindhuwinata said that his association did not have any plans to limit or reduce the number of motorcycles in the city. "It's impossible to control the number of motorcycles," he said. He said there were about 35 million motorcycles that were in usable condition in the country, and that 6 million to 7 million of those were in Greater Jakarta. "Not all of the motorcycles recorded by the police are still operational. Some of them may be broken," he said.

He said his association had actually recorded a decrease in the percentage of motorcycles being sold in the capital. "Over the past 10 years, the change has been from 30 to 20 percent in 2009," he said. He said his association has recorded growing sales in other provinces, including Bali and West Papua.

[Yappofloyd]

And another from a month ago...
One project at a time keeps congestion away, experts say by Desy Nurhayati, The Jakarta Post, 23/04/09
Jakarta's administration should focus on one public transportation project at a time, to avoid projects being half completed and unsuccessful, like the waterway and monorail projects, urban planning experts said Wednesday.

Despite worsening traffic conditions in the city, the administration has not yet managed to develop any form of efficient public transportation, said urban planning expert Yayat Supriatna. "The administration is inconsistent in developing transportation systems. It should prioritize and focus on completing one project before starting another," he said, citing several unfinished projects.

Despite the monorail project not being completed, the administration went ahead with building the waterway, which has been considered a failure. "Existing modes *of transportation*, such as the Transjakarta bus, have yet to be optimized by the administration. To some extent, they only create new traffic problems," Yayat said.

The administration has been planning to build the monorail project since 2003, erecting pillars in the middle of several main streets. However the project is now in a deadlock due to legal and financial problems.

Yayat said the project was still feasible, but needed stronger commitment from the administration and the company consortium. Furthermore, he warned administrative uncertainties in transportation projects could lead to stakeholder distrust and hamper the improvement of the entire system.

The Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) said the city's infrastructure could not catch up with the growing number of vehicles.

The group estimated that if vehicle growth rate continued to hover around an annual two-digit percentage without any breakthrough in transportation and traffic management, the city would be paralyzed by 2014. "We are concerned the worsening traffic will create environmental health problems, as well as economic losses," said ITDP director Milatia Kusuma.

"Expanding roads or building new ones will only generate more congestion. One way to address congestion is to encourage private vehicle users to use public transportation. But we cannot force them if the existing modes *of transportation* are inconvenient," she said.

She also blamed the administration for privileging private vehicle users, instead of siding with public transportation users, just because they contributed more taxes. "Public transportation users have always been treated as second class citizens." Bambang Susantono of the Indonesian Transportation Society said catastrophic traffic conditions regularly occurred when it rained heavily. "The problem is not only the traffic, but also about the messy spatial planning," he said.

[Yappofloyd]

Commitment key to improving public transportation, by Darmaningtyas, Jakarta Post Mon, 20/12/10
Transportation problems in Indonesia, particularly in big cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Semarang, Bandung, Makassar and Medan, undoubtedly lie in the dominance of private vehicles, both cars and motorbikes, and in the limited number of mass public transportation available.

In Jakarta, for instance, mass public transportation accounts for only 2 percent of a total of 9 million vehicles, and the rest are private vehicles. This overwhelming number of private cars and motorbikes causes traffic congestion in Jakarta. The imbalance ratio between private and public transportation leads to more problems, such as productive time and fuel waste, high stress levels, acute upper respiratory diseases and crimes. Various crimes such as car hijacking and robberies take place during traffic jams.

The Jakarta government knows exactly the solution to the problem of traffic congestion. It has introduced the Macro Transportation Pattern (Pola Transportasi Makro/PTM) concept, which identifies problems and suggests solutions to improve the transportation system in Jakarta. In addition to building more roads, the concept offers several steps to solve traffic congestion, primarily the step to build a mass public transportation such as the MRT, BRT, trains and water ways.

The phases of building mass public transportation have been initiated, firstly by building the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), popularly known as the busway. The PTM has set a target of building 15 busway corridors by 2010, followed by the construction of monorails and the MRT. If the target is met, we can hope to see the traffic congestion problem solved.

The water way program was launched before governor Sutiyoso completed his term in 2007. However, the program was revoked by his successor Governor Fauzi Bowo who viewed the project as unfeasible. Instead of canceling the program and returning the boats to Thousand Islands, Fauzi should have made the water way program feasible, for instance by dredging the river to make the water flow stable so that boats could run through it.

The question that always pops to mind is why the Jakarta administration choose the busway construction as priority opposed to the MRT, trains or monorails which have a much bigger capacity? The answer is clear: It is much cheaper and faster to construct busway than the others. If the busway capacity can be maximized, as in the case of Bogota, it will not be much different from MRT’s capacity.

The following is a comparison of mass transportation characteristics based on speed, cost and load capacity. Based on the comparison, it is clear that the decision to construct a busway is the most appropriate choice. Therefore, it is not necessary to debate on this matter. What is incorrect is when the construction of the busway is limited to constructing lanes, instead of a complete BRT system, which includes the development of feeder transport, electronic ticketing and control rooms, which are essential in controlling the operation of the busway to avoid passengers overload in certain spots or under capacity in other spots.

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What has been going on in Jakarta for the past seven years is the construction of merely the lanes, not the whole system. Constructing a complete BRT system is not a difficult task, provided there is a strong political commitment from the governor.

If we look at the issue closer, the Jakarta government’s failure to construct a complete BRT system is attributed to the absence of commitment from the decision maker, in this case Governor Fauzi. First, he did not built any lanes during his first three years of office. Instead, he cancelled the plan to construct three busway corridors with the excuse that it was difficult to secure the location. Second, the problem of electronic ticketing in Corridor IV-VIII has not been solved because of conflicts of interest. The local government wants the province-owned Bank DKI Jakarta to handle the ticketing while the bank does not have the experience or the capacity to do so.

The delay on solving ticketing issue shows that the governor does not have the commitment to put an end to this problem. Had the governor possessed strong commitment, this would have been an easy issue to resolve: Leave Bank DKI Jakarta and find another company from the private sector that can manage electronic ticketing.

The experience of TransJogja in Yogyakarta shows it is very easy to have a functioning electronic ticketing system because it costs only Rp 1.2 billion to manage the two lanes that it runs. Why does Jakarta insist on Bank DKI Jakarta? The same goes with constructing control rooms. It is very easy and cheap to build them, but why has it never been realized? Control rooms are very important to avoid inefficiency in bus operation and passenger-overload at bus stops.

Efforts to improve public transportation to woo private vehicle users to move to public transportation are the responsibility of not only the local government, but the central government, which includes the Transportation Ministry, the Coordinating Economics Minister’s Office, the Public Works Ministry, the Industry Ministry, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and the State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Ministry. The synergy among those ministries is imperative, because they are supporting one another.

The issue of subsidy, including a tax waive for public transportation, is the domain of the Finance Ministry. Infrastructure (including roads) is the domain of the Public Works Ministry. The availability of means (busses or trains within the country) falls under the Industry Ministry. Cheaper fuel and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for public transportation, compared to those for personal vehicles, is the domain of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry. As for the management of government-owned public transportation that does not aim for profits but for public service, it depends on the political will of the SOE Ministry. The Transportation Ministry holds the authority to issue permits, purchase (some) of the public vehicles and place road signs. Without good coordination among those ministries, it will be difficult to set up a reliable system of public transportation.

Likewise, the current poor policy of the TransJakarta busway is not merely the responsibility of the Jakarta governor. It is also the responsibility of the central government that does not provide adequate CNG. As a consequence, TransJakarta buses need at least two hours a day just to refuel. The issue of providing CNG is the domain of the Energy and Mineral Resources, the SOE and the Coordinating Economics Minister’s Office. The same goes with Jabodetabek Electric Trains. PT KCJ as the operator with the support from the Transportation Ministry is capable of providing trains that guarantee headway of every five minutes by 2011. However, they still face problems in dealing with crossings on the same road and limited electrical supplies.

The Public Works Ministry is responsible for constructing the infrastructure for the crossings and the state electricity company (PLN) under the SOE Ministry is responsible for providing electrical supplies. Thus, improvements in public transportation will not happen if it is entrusted to one department only, for example, the Transportation Ministry or the Transportation Agency. There must be a mutual commitment to create good public transportation. If I were the coordinating economics minister, I would decide to phase out subsidized fuel by January 2011, including for motorbikes. If the fuel for motorbikes is subsidized, people will turn to motorbikes and this will lead to more traffic problems.

To facilitate people mobilization, I would allocate 10 percent of the budget originally earmarked for fuel subsidy to improve public transportation (buses, trains, ships) so that our public transportation is safe, comfortable and affordable. Whereas another 20 percent of the budget originally allocated for fuel subsidy will be added to the existing education and health budget so that our community stays healthy and smart and so it does not have to pay more for healthcare. Only with a strong commitment can our ublic transportation move private vehicles owners to public transportation.

Unfortunately, the public has not yet been made aware that there is a collective responsibility to improve public transportation. Even among intellectuals, many still think that the responsibility rests with the Transportation Ministry. In fact, the 2009 Land Transportation Law limits the role of the Transportation Ministry in providing the means and resources of transportation, while the rest is collectively assumed by other stakeholders.

The public needs a new horizon, a clear direction and the right goals in the quest for better public transportation.

The writer is a transportation observer at the Institute for Transportation Studies (Instrans).

[Yappofloyd]

Maybe a decent metro system would help? :rolleyes:

President sets 2020 deadline to solve Jakarta’s traffic woes
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta 22/02/11
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono set a deadline of 2020 for Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo to fix the city’s massive traffic problem. “This is a major task for the governor. Jakarta’s traffic problems must be alleviated by 2020,” Yudhoyono said Tuesday.

The President said the Jakarta administration should be able to make significant changes by 2014 to improve the city’s traffic. He called for new infrastructure to be built in the capital and stressed the importance of credible traffic management. “I know this is not easy. There are developing countries with more cars than us but they have better management. We should learn [from them],” he said, as quoted by kompas.com.

He also told Fauzi to accelerate the construction of traffic-managing infrastructure and to complete all the delayed construction that so far has been neglected. “There needs to be a solution. We can find new investors,” Yudhoyono said.

[Yappofloyd]

Commuter Rail, MRT, Shuttles, Monorail and Bigger Busway for Jakarta by 2030? by Ulma Haryanto Jakarta Globe May 05, 2012

Imagine dropping your child off at a bus stop on your way to work in the morning, instead of driving all the way to school. Then imagine leaving your car at a parking facility where you can hop on a commuter train into the city center. Once you arrive, you have time to grab a coffee before a quick stroll over to the subway platform and a 10-minute ride to your office building — all before 8 a.m. It may sound far-fetched, but this is how city planners envision Jakarta’s transportation system in 20 years.

The mass rapid transit rail line may be the star of the entire integrated show, but planners note that Jakarta first needs an efficient way to bring commuters into the city to use it. That’s where the commuter rail line, or KRL, comes in. The Greater Jakarta transportation master plan for 2030, drawn up by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy, lists at least 27 KRL projects, including the construction of an outer ring railway running 100 kilometers around Jakarta’s satellite cities and costing Rp 20 trillion ($2.18 billion).

In addition, existing railway lines will be “double-double tracked,” or expanded to four parallel lines, while 160 extra train cars will be imported. “We also plan to revitalize all stations, including by expanding platforms to accommodate at least two additional cars,” says Mateta Rizalulhaq, a spokesman for railway operator Kereta Api Indonesia. The short-term aim is to triple daily passenger numbers from the current 400,000 to 1.2 million by next year. Once inside the city center, commuters will be able to take either the MRT or the bus rapid transit network, popularly known as the busway.

The busway network now stretches 135 kilometers but will be expanded to 435 kilometers under the master plan, making it the longest in Asia. The Jakarta Transportation Office plans to add 178 buses by 2013 while the central government will build more refueling stations — a key requirement, says the Presidential Working Unit for Development, Supervision and Oversight (UKP4), which is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the master plan. “Fifty percent of the time that buses are on the road is spent going to and from refueling stations, which is why it’s been hard to reduce headway times,” says Farchad Mahfud, from the UKP4.

For those still intent on driving into the city, the master plan offers park-and-ride facilities at some bus stops and train stations. Three are already in operation, with 20 more to be built by 2030, and the city transportation office is calling for private operators to get involved.

A final link in the envisioned integrated transportation network has been on and off the table for years: the monorail. Two lines were initially proposed. Construction on the green line was halted for lack of investment, while the blue line was scrapped and its proposed route taken over by an elevated road. However, the master plan still lists the 14.3-kilometer green line and 7 kilometers of extensions.

[Wisarut]

Well, Jakarta already have JABOTABEK commuter networks but it needs further expansion in addition to Airport Link
Subway will be added by the end of 2016-17 even though it will not reached Kota terminal of JABOTABEK commuter networks until around 2020.

[Yappofloyd]

Long term it does make sense to replace some of the BRT routes with Light rail, something which was mooted at the start of the BRT project. Korridor 1 would be the most obvious.

Council says Jakarta should have LRT to ease traffic by Novia D. Rulistia, The Jakarta Post November 01 2012
The Jakarta Transportation Council (DTKJ) has proposed introducing a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system to make up for the weaknesses of the city’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). DTKJ transportation expert Iskandar Abubakar said an LRT could carry more passengers than Transjakarta buses. “The total capacity of an LRT is 80,000 passengers per hour, while for Transjakarta buses it is only 25,000 people per hour and for a monorail it is only 40,000,” he said at a discussion on Wednesday.

In addition, he said, as an LRT used rail tracks in lanes, it would be impossible for cars, motorcycles or public buses to take over its space. “The lanes of Transjakarta are often used by vehicles, but that wouldn’t be the case with an LRT. This would definitely cut travel times, and passengers wouldn’t have to wait too long anymore,” Iskandar said. Private cars, motorcycles and public buses often use Transjakarta lanes, thus disrupting the headway.

Iskandar suggested it would be wise to try the LRT system in some of Transjakarta’s corridors that were not being used. “But we first need further study on this with the city administration. We will suggest it to the new governor,” he said.

A similar mode of public transportation, streetcars, were introduced in the city in 1869. They were initially pulled by horses and developed into steam-fueled streetcars in 1881 before being made electric in 1933. Streetcars used to operate along four routes, passing through Jatinegara, Harmoni, Pasar Baru and Tanah Abang. In the 1960s, former president Sukarno closed the service, saying that streetcars were not suitable for a city like Jakarta. Buses managed by state-owned bus company PPD replaced the streetcars. Most of the rail tracks have since been covered by asphalt.

Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) transportation expert Harun Alrasyid Lubis said that before introducing an LRT system, there should a comprehensive study on it in Jakarta given the city’s limited space. “If the administration wants to use an LRT, there should be studies on the tracks it would use, either building new lanes or using the existing tracks of Transjakarta,” he said. For new tracks, Harun said, the LRT could be used as a feeder to support other modes of public transportation, such as electric trains, adding that Transjakarta corridors 2, 3, 5, and 7 could be used as the lanes.

The Transportation Ministry’s railway planning division chief, Heru Wahyu Wibowo, said there should also be studies on demand and service allocation for all public transportation modes. “There must be specific patterns on which areas are served by which public transportation system so that there will not be an overlap and waste,” he said.

Separately, Transjakarta Management Authority chief Muhammad Akbar said the office planned to revert to using diesel in its 158 new buses in order to improve the service. “We don’t have enough LPG fuel stations, so it disrupts services,” he said. There are only four LPG stations to serve 477 Transjakarta buses. Each bus needs to refuel at least twice a day, whereas diesel-fueled buses need to fill up their tanks only once a day. “We must go with the plan if there is no improvement in gas supplies,” he said. Add CommentShare on facebook Share on twitter Share on email More Sharing Services

[Yappofloyd]

Planned elevated toll roads not designed for BRT, says developer, The Jakarta Post, November 22 2012
The six new inner-city toll roads that, if approved, will be constructed next year, are not designed to accommodate special lanes for the Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), according to PT Jakarta Tollroad Development (JTD) president director Frans Sunito.

Frans said the toll roads would have three lanes designated for private vehicles, just like other toll roads in the city. “There will be no special lanes for Transjakarta but the toll roads will be passable for buses and will be the first toll roads with several bus stops in the city,” he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. “The bus stops will be integrated with existing public transportation stops such as train stations, bus terminals and Transjakarta shelters. We will install escalators at every bus stop to make it easier for passengers in getting to the stops [on the elevated toll roads],” he added.

The city administration’s plan to construct six elevated toll roads had sparked protests from urban planning and transportation experts, saying that the toll roads would not have an effect in eradicating traffic problems and would further encourage citizens to use private vehicles. Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said that he had not yet decided whether to continue the plan initiated during the term of former governor Sutiyoso and that he was still studying the toll road project.

Jokowi said that he would agree with the toll road project as long as it was aimed at facilitating the BRT. “If the toll roads provide a special lane for [the BRT] then it is OK to build them. But I haven’t heard the details of the project,” Jokowi said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Elisa Sutanudjaja, an urban planning expert at Tarumanegara University and an activist at the Rujak Center for Urban Studies, said that Jokowi should cancel the toll road project as it would cause further problems for the city’s poor spatial management as well as damage the environment and public health. She added that the construction of the toll roads was not in line with the city’s newly launched free health care program. “The total expense of dealing with health problems caused by air pollution in Jakarta has reached Rp 38 trillion (US$3.93 billion) per year. Imagine if the administration approves this toll road plan. How much should they pay to cover healthcare services for the citizens who are sick because of polluted air?” questioned Elisa.

Firdaus Cahyadi from the Satu Dunia Foundation, an NGO focused on access to information for ordinary Indonesians, said that the toll roads project set a bad example for other cities in the archipelago. “What if other cities copied Jakarta and kept on constructing toll roads as a way of dealing with severe traffic jams? It’s an old way of overcome traffic issues,” he said. According to Firdaus, the administration should focus on developing public transportation.

The JTD’s Frans said he would not comment further on Jokowi’s statement, but added that the company would just wait until the study process was finished. The 67-kilometer-long inner-city toll roads that will connect all five of Jakarta’s municipalities are expected to begin construction next June.

The first phase of construction will include the 17.8-kilometer route from Semanan, West Jakarta to Sunter, North Jakarta, and the 11-kilometer route from Sunter to Bekasi. Duri Pulo, Central Jakarta and Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, as well as Kampung Melayu and Kemayoran, East Jakarta will also be linked to the second phase of the toll roads construction process. The third part of the project will connect Ulujami, South Jakarta, to Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, and the fourth will connect Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, to the Casablanca area in South Jakarta. (nad)

[Yappofloyd]

Joko Urged to Veto Plan for New Roads by Ronna Nirmala, Jakarta Post | November 27, 2012
Despite saying that adding more roads are not a viable solution to solving Jakarta’s traffic woes, Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama has conceded that a Rp 40 trillion ($4.2 billion) project to build six more toll roads should not be dismissed without a thorough review first. “We agree that simply adding more roads can’t solve [Jakarta’s traffic] problems. That’s why we’re focusing on adding more public transportation,” he said at City Hall on Monday. “But we can’t reject all proposals to build toll roads. [The plans for them] should still be studied.”

The Public Works Ministry has recently given the green light to build six more toll roads in Jakarta, under a plan first proposed by the administration of the former governor, Fauzi Bowo. Several groups, such as the Rujak Center for Urban Studies, have petitioned against the project and called on Basuki and Governor Joko Widodo to strike down the plan. The urban studies center argued that the toll roads would only benefit the owners of private vehicles, who account for 30 percent of the 18 million people working in Greater Jakarta.

The government “should prioritize the 70 percent non-private vehicle users,” the center said on its website, arguing that the city should focus on revamping public transportation. The group argued that more roads would only be a temporary solution and encourage more people to drive rather than use public transportation.

More than 3,500 people have signed an online petition against the construction of the toll roads, found on change.org. A coalition of groups, including Change.Org Indonesia, under the umbrella group One World, also demonstrated on Monday in front of City Hall. “The project is still being discussed, but if you look back at Joko’s campaign promises, he pledged to prioritize public transportation and spoke against the construction of toll roads, saying that they robbed people of their rights,” said Change.Org Indonesia co-founder Usman Hamid.

One World manager Firdaus said the funds used to finance the toll roads could be spent more effectively in improving public transportation in the city. “For every kilometer [of new roads] there will be 1,900 new cars. That’s what we’re protesting,” he said. “The government should maintain its focus on building mass transportation.” Prijanto, the former deputy governor, said his administration approved the toll roads on the condition that some sections would be open to public transportation. “The building of six toll roads will make people want to buy cars. But it all depends on the program,” he said.

The central government contends that the toll roads are necessary because the number of vehicles on the roads has been increasing by up to 30 percent a year, compared to the 0.01 percent expansion in the city’s road network each year. Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto recently said that road space in the capital should account for 10 to 20 percent of Jakarta’s total land area. It currently covers just 6.2 percent.

Joko is aiming for a 30-percent reduction in traffic congestion, based on a variety of traffic management policies. “Resolving the traffic problem is more than just about providing more public transportation,” he said last month. “It’s also about addressing traffic management, such as enforcing traffic rules.”

[Yappofloyd]

Jakarta looking to trial odd and even plate days to reduce traffic on select, key routes. Though some of the projections look optimistic it will be interesting to see how this unfolds if implemented. Also, watch for the various schemes rich drivers will use to subvert the restriction.

Jakartans to take turns driving, Andreas D. Arditya, The Jakarta Post, December 07 2012
The Jakarta administration is planning to impose a restriction that would limit cars on streets based on even-odd license plate numbers, beginning in March 2013 at the latest. The policy would temporarily replace the current “3-in-1” car pooling zones and would be effective from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. It would also affect roads used by the Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and a number of other main roads.

Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo acknowledged that the policy was unpopular, but he believed it would help lessen traffic jams. “If we don’t try it, we will never know [the impact]. But we are not doing it without any studies or preparation,” he said on Thursday at City Hall after a meeting with representatives from the Jakarta Police, the Jakarta Transportation Council (DTKJ) and transportation experts.

In its implementation, cars with odd-numbered license plates will be banned on even dates and vice versa. The vehicles would be marked with stickers, red for odd numbers and green for even numbers. City Transportation Agency chief Udar Pristono said that the administration would coordinate with the police to enforce the policy. “The even-odd restriction would serve as a transition from the 3-in-1 policy and the Electronic Road Pricing [ERP],” he said.

Jokowi has been optimistic that the much anticipated ERP could be implemented next year following approval from the central government. The administration had been waiting for a Government Regulation (PP) drafted by the Finance Ministry regarding the ERP. One of the main obstacles holding back the implementation of the ERP scheme was that the road-pricing levy was not included as tax or retribution in the 2009 Regional Tax and Retribution Law. The initial plan for the scheme is for the ERP to be applied on main roads from Blok M in South Jakarta to Kota in West Jakarta during morning and afternoon rush hour on weekdays.

Udar said the agency had calculated that the restriction would increase the average speed on Jakarta’s roads from 16.8 kilometers per hour to 47 kilometers per hour and cut down roads affected by jams from 43.7 percent to 32.7 percent. The restriction is also expected to save up to Rp 8.85 trillion (US$920 million) worth of productive time and vehicle operational cost as well as 345,000 liters of subsidized fuel each year. The agency has also calculated that cutting almost half of the vehicles used each day would result in a need to provide an alternative for around 2.6 million person trips each day.

Udar said that the city would compensate by providing a total of around 500 new buses in the BRT, granting 1,000 new minibuses to replace decade-old public minibuses (Metromini and Kopaja), and integrating the minibus services to the BRT system.

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[Yappofloyd]

The push for 70km of new toll roads in Jakarta slows as the new Gov hopefully prioritises the MRT?

Inner-city toll road project still in limbo, Sita W. Dewi, The Jakarta Post, 30 January 2013
The decision to construct at least one of the planned six inner-city toll roads is now in the hands of Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo after the meeting with the project stakeholders on Tuesday ended in deadlock. “Not yet,” he said after the closed-door meeting at City Hall, answering journalists’ questions about his final decision on the project’s fate. “This is not easy as it involves a Rp 42 trillion [US$4.3 billion] investment. I need more time [...] I will need one, two, probably six days.”

Earlier this month, Jokowi hinted at support for the project, which was expected to begin this year under the auspices of PT Jakarta Tollroad Development (JTD), to ease traffic. Urban activists protested against the plan which they said would counteract the administration’s plans to shift commuters to public transportation, organizing a petition to protest the construction of the elevated toll roads. “Neither side — those who oppose the construction or the project consortium — could reach an agreement, each of them insisted on their respective stances,” Jokowi said, adding that no one would accept the win-win solution offered by the governor when lobbying each group.

Transportation expert with the Institute of Transportation Studies (Instran) Darmaningtyas confirmed that the governor had offered an option to the stakeholders opposing the project. “He offered an option of constructing only one toll road connecting Semanan and Bekasi. But we also said no to that,” he said, emphasizing that “we won’t change our stance”.

Darmaningtyas said that he had reminded the governor that the construction of the new toll roads might cause an even bigger environmental disaster in the future. “If one argued that the plan was already stipulated in the RTRW, that was because the RTRW was drafted without public consultation,” he said, referring to the 2011-2030 Spatial Planning Bylaw (RTRW).

JTD president director Frans Sunito said that he had no other options but to await the governor’s final decision on the project. “We are prepared to build six toll roads, but if the administration changes [the plan] we’ll wait,” he said. He emphasized that the project’s financing scheme did not involve the city budget. “It’s 100 percent private funding — comprising 30 percent of cash flow and 70 percent of bank loans. The administration can use its budget [to develop] mass transportation,” Frans said.

He added that in the proposal, the consortium had planned to build elevated bus shelters along the toll roads to facilitate public buses. “The construction of the toll roads will not disrupt other public facilities.” The proposed 67.9 kilometers of inner-city toll roads, a project initiated during the term of governor Sutiyoso, was planned to connect all five of Jakarta’s municipalities.

The planned first phase of construction includes a 17.8-kilometer road from Semanan, West Jakarta, to Sunter, North Jakarta and an 11-kilometer road from Sunter to Bekasi. The routes from Duri Pulo, Central Jakarta, to Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, and from Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, to Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, are planned for the second phase.

The third part of the project would connect Ulujami, South Jakarta, to Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, and the fourth would connect Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, to the Casablanca area of South Jakarta. During his election campaign, Jokowi — along with his running mate Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama — promised that he would not endorse the project, saying that he would prioritize developing mass transportation to shift people from private cars.

[Yappofloyd]

Even-odd traffic policy to start next year, The Jakarta Post 16 March 2013
The Jakarta Transportation Agency said on Friday that the car restriction policy using the even-odd license plate number method has to wait until next year. “After discussing with the governor [Joko “Jokowi” Widodo], he said it would be better to start the implementation when mass transportation is ready,” agency head Udar Pristono told reporters. “It will be difficult for the people that want to shift to using mass transportation, if it isn’t available yet,” he added.

The administration is currently expanding its Transjakarta bus fleet and procurement of new buses is expected to be finished by December. Udar said that the city currently operates 669 Transjakarta buses for all lines, while another 450 are still in the procurement process. “As many as 102 new articulated Transjakarta buses are already on the roads. The buses are so comfortable to ride in,” he said.

He pointed out that the even-odd system is the best that the city can implement with its current situation and budget, and hence will not be canceled. He added that it would be more effective than the three-in-one system, which the new method will temporarily replace. The system will be effective from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays.

It will affect roads used by the Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and a number of other main streets. Under the plan, cars with odd-numbered license plates will be banned on even dates and vice versa. The vehicles will also be marked with stickers, red for odd numbers and green for even numbers. “Three-in-one used to be a very good system, until people used jockeys to help them fool the authorities,” Udar said. “But with the new method, people will think twice before violating the regulation, because they can also be charged for license plate fraud. That’s a crime.” The agency is optimistic that the method will reduce the city’s congestion level by 45 percent.

Late last month, the administration also said that the regulation implementation would likely be postponed as it had yet to procure 2.5 million vehicle stickers worth Rp 12.5 billion (US$1.28 million) because of the late approval of the 2013 city budget. The administration had stated previously that they would need one more month to disseminate the policy, and if approved it would be implemented only at the end of June.

Newly-installed Deputy Jakarta Traffic Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sambodo Purnomo said that police are currently preparing the supporting database for the even-odd method implementation. “We prefer to use the electronic law enforcement [ELE] in this,” he said, adding that it will be more comprehensive as well as easier for the police to do. “Besides, it is modernized. We would not want to hear about foreign dignitaries coming to the city who were confused by seeing hundreds of police officers glaring at license plate numbers, would we?”

Police said they will not rush in the implementation, saying that they will do their best to compile a database of motorists first, which would include bank account details. They said the process needed a further 30 to 40 percent to complete.