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Motorcycle ban will worsen traffic: Transport council
The head of the Jakarta Transportation Council (DTKJ) has said that widening motorcycle bans in the city would lead people to switch to using private cars, which would worsen traffic conditions.
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Motorbike free: Motorcyclists drive along Jl. HR Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, on Aug.25. Jakarta governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat said his administration was reexamining its plan to ban motorcycles from the city's main thoroughfares, including Jl.HR. Rasuna Said. (Antara/Reno Esnir)
T
he head of the Jakarta Transportation Council (DTKJ) has said that widening motorcycle bans in the city would lead people to switch to using private cars, which would worsen traffic conditions, in response to a recent ban on motorcycles in downtown Jakarta.
Iskandar Abubakar pointed out that many Jakarta motorcyclists also owned cars. “When they find out that they will have limited road access if they travel on a motorcycle, the city’s residents will shift back to using their cars, resulting in a worse traffic jam,” he said, as quoted by kompas.com on Sunday.
(Read also: Bikers unite to fight against motorcycle restriction)
Many Jakartans prefer to drive motorcycles to avoid traffic jams in the capital.
Iskandar said owners and operators of goods and package delivery services in Jakarta depended heavily on motorcycles for their business activities. If motorcycles were banned, he said, they would continue their activities by using cars.
“Nowadays, mail and package delivery services mostly use motorcycles. Those activities would be affected by this policy too," he said.
Iskandar stressed the administration must review the policy with a more comprehensive study. “They must use consultants to come up with a fair assessment,” he said.
The Jakarta administration and city police have decided on barring motorcycles from entering the city’s main thoroughfares – Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Gatot Subroto and Jl. Rasuna Said – in an attempt to reduce traffic congestion in the capital. The trial of the motorcycle ban is scheduled to start on Sep 12. (dis/ebf)
