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Calls grow for online taxis to be exempt from Jakarta traffic policy
Since the government decided to ease community activity restrictions (PPKM) in Jakarta last week, the city has been seeing more commuters return to the workplace. Civil society is now pushing for online taxis to be exempted from the odd-even number plate policy to benefit commuters who do not own private vehicles.
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Vehicles pass under a digital banner carrying information on the reimplementation of the odd-even plate policy on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta, in this photo from 2020. The Jakarta Police plan to expand the policy to 25 thoroughfares across the city, just like in pre-pandemic times. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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s Jakarta relaxes COVID-19 restrictions and the hustle and bustle of the capital slowly returns, civil society has stirred fresh debate over the exemption of online taxis from the odd-even traffic policy that regulates mobility.
Still fresh from the government’s decision to impose the lowest level of community activity restrictions (PPKM) last week, the city has been seeing more commuters return to the workplace as capacity limitations are gradually lifted.
However, with confidence in the use of public transportation still low due to the pandemic, ride-hailing services and online taxis have become the preferred mode of travel for commuters who do not own private vehicles.
The reintroduction and eventual expansion of the odd-even policy has served to quell the movement of people as part of efforts to keep further COVID-19 transmission in check.
But now the Indonesian Consumer Community (KKI) is calling on the Jakarta administration to exempt online taxis from the traffic policy as congestion returns to the city as a result of easing pandemic curbs.
KKI head David Tobing said that many people heavily relied on online taxis to travel within the city throughout the course of the pandemic, due to concerns over virus transmission in public transportation.
