The City Council closed 2008 with six recommendations for the executive arm to address over the year to come.

Council spokesperson Ade Surapriatna said the city administration should find a way to solve traffic congestion first and, therefore, the executive should improve public transportation services.

"The busway network should be integrated with other public transportation networks. The busway management should be professional and transparent," he said.

"We also hope the MRT project can start as soon as possible."

Ade said the second problem was flooding, which needed to be addressed together with neighboring provinces and the central government.

"The executive should not only focus on flooding caused by local rain and upstream rivers, but also increase its alertness of high tides in the northern coastal area," he said.

The third priority, he said, was the construction of low-cost apartments for squatters living on riverbanks. Ade said the program could stop rivers from becoming narrower because of slums, and could change slums into well-managed residential areas.

"The low-cost apartment program needs to be supervised carefully because the apartments are often sold to middle-income families at higher prices," he said.

As for the fourth priority, Ade said public order activities of evicting street vendors and squatters occupying green spaces should be conducted humanely.

The fifth problem the City Council underlined was air pollution. Ade said the public was still not obeying the 2005 bylaws on air pollution and nonsmoking areas.

"The executives should familiarize the public with the bylaws. It is also a lesson for us so that we can make a effective legislation in the future," he said.

Last, Ade said, the executives should improve security and public order to establish a conducive atmosphere for the 2009 general elections.

The City Council passed nine bylaws throughout 2008: The bylaws were on the 2007 budget, the 2008 budget, the 2009 budget, organizational structure, the establishment of city-owned company PT Mass Rapid Transit Jakarta (MRTJ), equity participation for MRTJ, HIV/AIDS prevention, fire prevention and the Jakarta development plan of 2007-2012.

Ade said the city budget was late in 2007 and 2008 because the executive and the council budget committee had to discuss policy and priority budgets before discussing the draft budget.

"To avoid the late deliberation and the late budget, the executive should follow the schedule stipulated in the 2006 Home Ministry regulation," he said.

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