T

he Jakarta administration has decided to scrap a specific technology requirement that was set to be a part of much-anticipated Electronic Road Pricing (ERP).

The elimination of Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) as the mandatory technology for ERP is the consequence of protests from some parties, including the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU).

The administration argues that DSRC technology is not the only way to implement the road pricing system.

Jakarta Transportation Agency head Andri Yansyah said at City Hall on Thursday that he would seek a middle way to resolve the controversy over the technology, which is stipulated in Gubernatorial Regulation No. 149/2016 on ERP.

Andri said the city had received two different opinions.

“Some people said making the technology mandatory constituted a monopolistic practice that created unfair competition,” he said after a meeting with various stakeholders on ERP.

Initiated in 2013, ERP, which aims to tackle chronic congestion Jakarta’s main thoroughfares, has faced many hurdles. These include a troubled tender bidding and incomplete electronic registration identification (ERI), which the database requires in order to charge vehicle owners using the road.

The KPPU has previously stated that making the utilization of DSRC technology a precondition for companies bidding for the ERP project violated Law
No. 5/1999 on monopolies and unfair business competition.

Singapore currently uses a DSRC system but will switch to a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based ERP system from 2020.

Besides DSRC, other technologies include Technology Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Global Positioning System (GPS), Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and a combination of DSRC and ANPR. ANPR is currently used in Stockholm and London.

According to Andri, the choice of DSRC was based on a recommendation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

He said the Jakarta Development Planning Board (Bappeda) previously asked JICA to survey the usage of ERP in several cities. The result of the survey was a recommendation of two technologies — DSRC and ANPR.

He said DSRC was considered the most suitable for Jakarta.

Andri said his agency would specify criteria, so the winning technology would be that most appropriate for Jakarta.

He said one of the criteria was a sensor that could immediately recognize police license plates, so police vehicles would not have to stop. “If the vehicles should stop, it will create congestion,” he said.

He said the system should also use on board unit (OBU) technology, as it was able to detect the data of vehicle owners automatically.

“We will hold another meeting next week to finalize the revision of the regulation,” he said.

The Greater Jakarta Transportation Body’s (BPTJ) director of traffic and transportation, Karlo Manik, said the central government was leaving technology decisions to the city administration.

“We only suggest that they use tested technology,” he said.

Karlo, who also attended the meeting, said technology that had been successfully implemented in many countries was what would be suitable for Jakarta.

He said the regulations set by the central government never mentioned any specific technology. “The central government only mentioned that the ERP program should be conducted in Jakarta and Surabaya to decrease the greenhouse effect,” he said.