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View all search resultsNavigating Jakarta's alleyways with Waze
Back in the day, jalan tikus (alleyways), or the narrow lanes that people use to avoid the traffic on main roads, were only known to the locals who lived in the area and who were familiar with the surroundings
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ack in the day, jalan tikus (alleyways), or the narrow lanes that people use to avoid the traffic on main roads, were only known to the locals who lived in the area and who were familiar with the surroundings.
Knowledge of jalan tikus is essential for those who live in the capital city and drive all the time, as these alleys may help them avoid traffic congestion on the main roads and cut their commute time quite significantly.
However, thanks to current technological advances such as navigation app Waze, such knowledge is no longer insider information and has instead become public.
Sixty-nine-year-old Iwan Burnadi Halim, for instance, regularly drives from his home in Lippo Cikarang in Bekasi regency, West Java, to Kramat Jati Market in East Jakarta, from Monday to Saturday. As he usually commutes during rush hours, he can be stuck in traffic, often for as long as two hours.
However, for the past five years he has heavily relied on Waze to find the fastest route. “The app saves a lot of my time,” he recently told The Jakarta Post, adding that the app had helped him cut his trip home by at least 30 minutes.
Waze is also a preferable choice for Decit, 38, and Yeni Siregar, 24. Decit said the app gave her complete guidance about which main roads to take, while Yeni regards Waze as very useful during traffic congestion.
“[The app] allows me to take the shortest route,” Yeni said.
Another user, 25-year-old Mia Ratri, said Waze was helpful as it gave her different route options.
A crowdsourcing-based navigation platform, Waze gathers reports from users about traffic congestion, accidents, road closures and police operations. Prior to presenting this info to users, the company verifies the reports, particularly about traffic congestion, using global positioning system technology that will detect vehicle speeds within certain periods. The app's main target is to save at least five minutes of the driver's time on the road in each city.
Waze currently has over 3 million active users in Indonesia — no wonder since the country currently ranks fourth in the most congested countries according to Waze, right below the Philippines, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador.
The definition of active user is one who uses Waze at least twice a day with a duration of around 80 minutes per day.
Other than Jakarta, the majority of Waze users can be found in other major Indonesian cities such as Bandung, West Java; Surabaya, East Java; Medan, North Sumatra; Denpasar, Bali; and Palembang, South Sumatra.
Acquired by giant tech company Google in 2013, Waze has a team called Waze Editors who actively share about new routes and updates regarding traffic policy.
“[Waze editors] come from different backgrounds and are passionate about maps,” Waze Indonesia country manager Marlin R. Siahaan recently told the Post during an interview in Jakarta, adding that the platform currently has 500 monthly active map editors in Indonesia.
All users can be Waze Map Editors as long as they actively update the information on the app. Waze annually facilitates a meeting for these editors where they will gather and brainstorm ideas that will be proposed to the community manager.
Drivers who use the app are usually given three alternative routes to reach their destination, which include the fastest driving time and the shortest distance. The time difference between each alternative is varied, but it is often within several minutes.
Marlin said Waze allowed users to manage their time effectively. "There are some people who prefer to save their time by taking shortcuts. However others like to stay on the main road and avoid [too many] turns,” she added.
The app is not perfect though.
"Sometimes [the app's] loading time is longer compared to other apps," said Yeni.
"[My] smartphone signal must be stable and strong, otherwise we’ll be directed to random routes,” shared Mia.
Meanwhile Ruth Regina Simangunsong, 38, said that Waze's recommended shortcuts often meant a tiny alley in a residential area with sharp turns that only fit one car.
However thanks to the strong community support, the app regularly fixes its bugs and enhances its capabilities, enabling hundreds of millions of its mobile users to save time and energy on the road.
In the near future, Waze Indonesia plans to integrate the app with music streaming platform YouTube Music this year, which will allow users to enjoy their favorite music while using the service.
