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Staggered work hours offered yet again to ease Jakarta gridlocks
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Motorists sit in a traffic jam in Jakarta on Dec. 13, 2022. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
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Jakarta acting governor Heru Budi Hartono has suggested private office workers start their morning at two different times, 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., claiming that such an adjustment could reduce morning traffic by at least 30 percent.
"Most office workers [in the downtown area of] Thamrin and Gatot Subroto area start their work day at 8 a.m.. If half of them start their day at a later time, morning traffic can be reduced by 30 percent," Heru said on Tuesday as quoted by Kompas.com.
Heru said the city administration would hold a discussion on the staggered working hours plan with experts and stakeholders.
The Jakarta authority had proposed a similar staggered working hours scheme in July last year, suggesting some office workers shift their working schedules to start at 10 or 11 a.m. or even change their schedule to the afternoon or evening.
However, the plan was strongly objected to by the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) and the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), arguing that the arrangement would disturb employees' biological rhythms and reduce their productivity at work.
They were also skeptical about the staggered hours scheme’s effectiveness at reducing traffic congestion, claiming that shifting working times only a few hours apart would have little impact on traffic.
