Jakarta Police traffic unit chief Sr. Comr. Yusuf has said that the new cameras will capture speeding drivers, drivers who do not use seat belts and those who use their smartphones while driving.

The current CCTV cameras only capture motorists who violate the odd-even traffic policy, drive through a red light, ignore traffic signs or go against the flow of traffic.

“The types of violations would not only be limited to drivers who ignore traffic lights and road signs,” Yusuf said on Wednesday.

The police plan to install 10 of the advanced cameras next month along Jl. MH Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta, the same thoroughfares where four CCTV cameras connected to ETLE system are located.

Yusuf added that the Jakarta Police were communicating with the city administration about the installation of the new cameras.

Adhi, a ride-hailing driver who regularly picks up passengers on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in Central Jakarta, which intersects with Jl. MH Thamrin, said he was not worried about the new cameras.

He claimed that he always pulled over every time he used his phone.

“I always put my phone on the motorbike’s dashboard, never touching it. Sometimes I only listen to the instructions from Google Maps while driving,” he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old man said he neither supported nor opposed the idea, as there might be some instances in which drivers needed to pick up their phone immediately.

Suhendi, 55, a conventional ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver, said he strongly supported the idea for safety reasons.

“For the sake of people’s safety, it’s a very good [plan],” he said, explaining that drivers who did not concentrate could harm themselves, their passengers and other road users.

The Jakarta Police claimed that the ETLE system, which began operating on Nov. 1 last year, significantly reduced traffic violations by up to 70 percent in areas where the cameras were installed.

“There was a dramatic decrease from 250 violators per day to only 25,” Yusuf said.

He added that the police were currently monitoring the efficacy of the system and expressed optimism that it would create a deterrent effect.

The system utilizes hidden cameras to record violations.

A dedicated team from the Jakarta Police then analyzes the footage before referring to a database of Jakarta vehicle owners.

Tickets are then sent to the address stated on the alleged violator’s vehicle registration certificate (STNK). Information on the time, place and type of violation and a photo of the violation is attached to the ticket.

Upon receiving the ticket, alleged violators are expected to submit a response to the Jakarta Police or on the ETLE website, etle-pmj.info, within 10 days to receive a letter of confirmation.

The vehicle owner has to fill in information on the confirmation letter to confirm whether they are the violator. They are given a maximum of five days to respond to the letter and can do so via the website or by reporting directly to the police’s ETLE post on Jl. MT Haryono No. 6.

The police will send the final ticket once a confirmation letter is received. A fine of Rp 500,000 (US$34) must be paid within seven days of the date stated on the ticket, unless an appeal is filed.

Failure to complete these steps results in an STNK ban that will make it difficult to pay vehicle taxes or extend vehicle documents.

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