Tomorrow, Jakarta’s transportation department is beginning a two-week long trial removal of the 3-in-1 traffic rule on the city’s busiest main streets. The car pooling scheme was criticized by many, including Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, as ineffective in reducing macet during rush hours, but the police doesn’t seem to share that opinion.
“The 3-in-1 system has been able to alleviate traffic jams from Sudirman, Thamrin, the Patung Kuda traffic circle all the way to the Senayan roundabout,” said AKBP Budiyanto, head of law enforcement at the Jakarta Traffic Police, as quoted by Kompas today.
Budiyanto also said the rule, which has been in effect since 2003, is effective in reducing macet from Kuningan to Semanggi during rush hours.
This makes us wonder: if the police don’t think these areas are gridlocked in traffic, even with the 3-in-1, during rush hours, how bad would things get without it?
Another criticism of 3-in-1, which actually prompted Governor Ahok to erase the rule, is that it facilitates child abuse as “3-in-1 jokis” often bring children along with them to increase their chances of getting picked up by cars. Yet Budiyanto said jokis shouldn’t be a problem because they’re illegal anyway.
“In accordance to the regional law on public discipline, people can’t use the services of a joki. Public transport vehicles also can’t pick up jokis,” he said.
Well, given that jokis still exist in large numbers in Jakarta, somebody’s not doing their job to enforce that law.
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