Reports first emerged earlier this month that the Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD) aimed to finish deliberations with its executive counterparts to issue a regional regulation (perda) on the ERP by the end of this year.

The traffic control mechanism will force vehicle drivers to pay to pass through certain major thoroughfares in the capital at varying rates, in the hope of encouraging greater adoption of public transportation and thus reducing congestion.

And while the system might be a viable option for reducing traffic in general, transportation expert Djoko Setijowarno insists that policymakers should first improve the existing public transportation network, particularly for commuters from satellite cities going into the capital.

While most housing in Jakarta is situated within walking distance of some form of public transportation, including to the city-run Jaklingko angkot (minivans), most residential areas in the suburban sprawl, Djoko said, are still not readily connected to any public means of commuting.

Read also: Yearender 2022: Two steps forward, one step back for Jakarta public transportation

“[The ERP system] remains a problem for those living in the suburbs [of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi] but who have to work in Jakarta […] since public transportation services to and from Jakarta are still at a premium,” he stated on Wednesday.

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