Jakarta Tales Vol 3: From traffic, more traffic to Cafe Batavia

TRAFFIC... THERE'S ONLY A RED!

Hi,

Before I begin an account of events since Vol 2, here are two contests you can enter to win some great prizes:

1) Entries are open for solutions - ones that work - for Jakarta's chronic traffic problems!! Anyone with an idea that's not flyovers, freeways, MRT/LRT, oganized bus networks, no-car days (all these have been tried and tested for the last 16 years:)) is welcome to send in their entry to any CITIZEN IN JAKARTA!! Prizes include the status of President, Master for Life and GOD! Rewards include free, genuine worship by 10 million residents and 1 million foreigners who are fed up and have resigned to the fate of being stuck in traffic throughout the day.

2) Entries are open for more traffic solutions!!

Believe me people, I've never seen so much traffic in my life! Going out for a one-hour meeting from South to Central Jakarta could mean being on the road for 4 hours. But thank heavens the traffic here is organized. People drive in a straight line and don't honk or else one could go deaf on the spot or get killed in an accident what with so many vehicles. The problem? Too many cars. Jakarta has more cars than the whole of Indonesia put together! On an average, a friend told me, each family that can afford it has at least 2 cars.

And why? Simply because while there are organized govt bus networks (the comfortable, air-con, cheap TransJakarta busway) they cater only to certain parts of this teeming metropolis. The private buses are as bad as or even worse than Kolkata's minibuses so people choose not to travel by them. The other options are ojek (motorcyles, but the ojek drivers are obsessed with imitating F1 races so there is the danger of a rendezvous with St Peter at the Pearl Gates before you can say "stop").

Then comes the bajaj (the govt hates it because of the pollution it creates and so its not allowed everywhere but its the poor and middle-class's vehicle so people do use it) and then there's the cabs (very comfortable but expensive for daily use). The MRT (mass rapid transportation) is under construction (will take at least another 2 years before beginning operations) and there's already too many flyovers and freeways so there's no space to build any more. So what do people do?!?!?! They use cars. Phew! Just talking about it makes me dread Monday morning traffic at Kemang (my office area).


I'm off for the moment, see you guys in some time...
Yousuf