W

hile there is no revolution in traffic management, the blame game has continued with regard to who actually causes congestion on Jakarta streets.

Car owners say the growing number of motorcycles has made streets more crowded, while motorcyclists have blamed selfish car drivers for occupying the roads with only one or two people on board.

But the recent hit-and-run accident in Pancoran, South Jakarta, is more telling. A cyclist died after being hit by a car that had sped up after being outpaced by a motorcycle. On rapidly congesting roads, motorists have lost their temper and respect for others. A street can easily morph from a public facility into a field of competition or survival.

Fundamental change is direly needed to resolve the situation. And this should begin with the right mindset for solving the major problem, which is overcrowded streets, regardless of the cause of the congestion.

On major thoroughfares like Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin that link business districts and government office areas in the capital, traffic jams mean reduced efficiency and significant economic losses, as major deals often take place in these areas. Road pricing and congestion charges should have long been applied in the city.

However, there have been hurdles surrounding plans to implement such measures, with the latest being the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) reprimanding the Jakarta administration over indications of monopoly practices in bidding for the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) project.

A local regulation only stipulates dedicated short-range radio communications (DSRC), popularly used in Singapore, as the technology for road pricing schemes in the city, while there is also automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), a method used in London.

After revising the regulation and reopening the auction, the city administration proclaimed that the road pricing system would arrive next year, alongside the operation of the first phase of the MRT, which will link Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta with the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.

With several technologies available, Jakarta can choose whichever system is best suited to local conditions. It is true that the city, just like other provinces in the country, still has a chaotic vehicle registration system, in which the name and address registered for a vehicle at times do not match the actual owner.

In Singapore, violators are directly identified and vehicle owners will receive fine statements by mail. This would not work to the same extent in Jakarta, but that should not stop the implementation of the system, if the percentage of such mismatch is insignificant.

Although the streets of Jakarta carry more vehicles than those of Singapore, they have yet to be equipped with basic infrastructure and public transportation to allow road pricing for vehicles.

The city does not have to wait for the MRT or other technology marvels to arrive to make it happen.