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Explanation of proposed road pricing plan needed
Transportation businesses and experts are calling on the city to clarify the electronic road pricing (ERP) system, which is expected to be applied in the city to reduce traffic congestion
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ransportation businesses and experts are calling on the city to clarify the electronic road pricing (ERP) system, which is expected to be applied in the city to reduce traffic congestion.
Participants at a discussion Thursday on ERP highlighted the acceleration of regulations supporting the system as well as the urgent need to improve public transportation.
Ahmad Safrudin of the Committee against Leaded Gasoline (KPBB) expressed support for the implementation of ERP, saying the system was environmentally fair because vehicles would be charged for the emission produced.
However, Ahmad said the ERP rollout and improving public transportation should be done simultaneously. “Good public transportation will become an alternative for those who do not want to get charged in ERP areas.”
The central government is discussing a plan to implement the ERP to replace the 3-in-1 policy in Jakarta’s main thoroughfares during rush hour.
Elly Adriani Sinaga, the director of urban transportation systems at the Transportation Ministry,
said the 3-in-1 policy had many weaknesses, including the inconsistency of law enforcement, the
limited number of police officers and the new social problem of “jockeys”.
Car owners use the services of jockeys if they want to use 3-in-1 roads but do not have enough passengers. Jockeys are paid to hitch a short ride.
Najid of the Jakarta Transportation Council reminded the city to conduct a feasibility study on roads heading to the ERP system.
Izzul Waro from the Institute of Transportation Studies echoed similar concerns, saying there would
be more challenges in applying the system in the city as compared to Singapore because Jakarta had many roads.
“The system will be costly because the government has to install entry gates on all roads entering ERP areas,” he said.
City transportation agency traffic management head M. Akbar said his agency was in the process of creating a road map.
“We have done a study, which included location, technology and legal basis,” he said.
One of the problems hindering the implementation of ERP is the legal basis to support technical and retribution issues.
The central government has not issued any regulations as frameworks for the application the 2009 Traffic Law that regulates the road pricing and the 2009 Regional Revenue and Retribution Law.
“An awareness campaign should be conducted to prevent public objection to the new plans because retribution is a sensitive issue,” Akbar said.
The road pricing system has been implemented in Singapore, London and Stockholm.
The ERP in Singapore uses a dedicated short-range radio communication system to deduct ERP charges from smart cards inserted in in-vehicle units each time a vehicle passes a pricing point where the system is in operation.
