Some people who have become accustomed to the odd-even traffic policy bemoan its expansion, saying that it is getting harder to find alternative routes or means of transportation.
span style="font-size:16.0pt">As the Jakarta administration works to reduce traffic jams in the capital city by expanding the odd-even license plate regulation, some residents are unhappy with the new plan, which is to take effect in September.
The odd-even plate regulation is currently being implemented on some of the city’s main thoroughfares. With the expansion, several more streets in the capital city are to be included.
The policy was previously implemented on weekdays in the morning and afternoon rush hours on Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat, Jl. MH Thamrin and Jl. Jend. Sudirman, as well as some parts of Jl. Jend. S. Parman, Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jl. HR. Rasuna Said, Jl. Jend. MT Haryono, Jl. Jend. DI Panjaitan and Jl. Jend. Ahmad Yani.
The forthcoming expansion is to cover up to 25 streets in the city, including Jl. RS. Fatmawati, Jl. Panglima Polim, Jl. Sisingamangaraja, Jl. Pramuka, Jl. Salemba Raya, Jl. Kramat Rayat, Jl. Gunung Sahari, Jl. Majapahit, Jl. Gajah Mada, Jl. Hayam Wuruk, Jl. Suryopranoto, Jl. Balikpapan and Jl. Tomang Raya.
The Jakarta Transportation Agency said it is currently doing a trial run to educate residents about the policy and, therefore, violators of the regulation on the new routes would not be ticketed until it is fully implemented on Sept. 9.
Private company employee Reza Maulana, 34, said he disagreed with the expansion because it would affect his work travel throughout the city, which also involves carpooling with his wife and business meetings in other parts of the city.
He said he frequented the Senayan area of Central Jakarta for business meetings, although his office is in Pulogadung, East Jakarta, while his wife works at the Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD) on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta.
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.