Jakarta governor sued over air pollution. He forces motorists to leave cars at home

 

The city administration ended speculation about the policy at a press conference Wednesday, saying the decision was final and that the expanded odd-even policy — aimed at reducing air pollution — would begin a trial on Monday and come into full effect on Sept. 9.

“The number of roads affected by the odd-even policy will increase from nine to 25,” Jakarta Transportation Agency head Syafrin Liputo told reporters.  

The policy will also have a longer duration. It will now be enforced from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m, an hour longer than the current duration. 

Syafrin said he was convinced the city’s public transportation system was ready to support the policy. The Jak Lingko system, which comprises bus, public minivan and MRT services, already covers the affected thoroughfares, the official argued. The Jak Lingko system is managed by city-owned transportation company PT Transjakarta

“We choose these roads for the expanded [odd-even policy] because there is sufficient public transportation.”

However, the policy, included on a list of measures Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan plans to implement to improve the city’s air quality, has caught motorists by surprise.

The governor has come under fire for what critics have described as his lethargic response to Jakarta’s worsening air quality. He has claimed to have introduced several policies to tackle air pollution, but critics say it is not enough.

On Thursday, just hours after the court opened a civil lawsuit against Anies over his failure to address pollution, the governor dropped the bombshell: The city would ban cars aged over 10 years in 2025 and expand the existing odd-even policy.

The policy applies to combustion-engine cars only. It excludes electric vehicles as they are considered environmentally friendly.

Devi Lim, 22, who lives in Matraman in East Jakarta, said the policy would affect her commute to her campus in Palmerah, West Jakarta. “I have to walk about 400 meters to reach the closest Transjakarta stop. That’s why I prefer to use a private vehicle. This policy will make my trip to campus more difficult,” she said.

Silvia Livi, 24, a start-up company employee who commutes from Rawamangun in East Jakarta to Blok M in South Jakarta, said she was prepared to switch to public transportation once the policy was in place, but added that, “it really depends on how easy [public transportation] is to access from my house.”

While some motorists expressed doubt about the readiness of the city’s transportation system, experts have said otherwise.

Tory Damantoro, the head of the Indonesian Transportation Society’s (MTI) Jakarta chapter, said the current public transportation system was sufficient to accommodate those affected by the policy.

“It will be sufficient if the public understands that public transportation services do not run door-to-door, so commuters must plan their trips,” he said.

Deddy Herlambang from the Institute for Transportation Studies argued that the odd-even policy would reduce congestion.

“This traffic engineering policy should be implemented to increase the number of public transportation passengers,” he said. “[Public transportation] on the affected thoroughfares is sufficient.”

Currently, 3,305 buses and public minivans operate under the Jak Lingko system, which served 212 routes as of July.

Transjakarta aims to have a fleet of 10,047 buses and minivans and serve 348 routes throughout the capital by the end of 2020. This mass expansion of the public transportation system is expected to cut the 141 congestion points identified in 2018 to zero by 2022.

The first phase of the MRT, which runs from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta, recorded an average of 94,000 passengers per day in July. The second phase from Hotel Indonesia to Kota in West Jakarta is expected to commence operation in 2024. Meanwhile, the commuter line already consists of 400 kilometers of track.

A number of MRT and commuter line stations have also been integrated into the Jak Lingko system.

It is a matter of habit, Deddy said, adding that people needed to become more accustomed to using public transportation.