According to a Ditlantas Polri (err... how to translate this, by the way?) estimation, there are around 35 million motorcycles hitting the road in the country in 2006. That is 70 percent of total population of vehicle. The number is twice as much as that in 2002, or 2.33 times higher than that in 2001.
Yes, yes, incentives are all that matters. Traffic jam, cheaper than car, more certain than public transport, explain why more people prefer to ride motorcycles. It may also be good for the economy. Nevertheless, it explains why driving (and walking) in Jakarta becomes more and more difficult. And damn dangerous too...! In the Jakarta area alone, according to PDAT, the number of motorcycles is around 3.3 million (2003). It is estimated that the number increases by around 350 thousand per year. So in three years, motorcycle in Jakarta increases by more than a million (conservative estimation).
Traffic
when i'm governor, i will ban them. all of them. or at least have a mandatory IQ test and risk management course.
ReplyDeleteor at the very least, one of those drunk test where they have to follow straight lines and not making any sudden movement.
naaah, better to kill them all, really. ALL.
hmmm...treespoter, you will never get elected. Why don't you ban cars, so everyone rides motorcycle? Or, find a way to improve mass transportation system? Or...or...or..
ReplyDeleteWhen motorcyclists become the norm (as they already are), I'm all for granting them a specialized lane that is separate from cars. Then, one can develop rules for them that are different from those for cars.
ReplyDeletei'd rather put that money into a more busway corridors (of course 'better mass transport system' is the priority, but who can figure what this is?). i think these motorcyclist (dan penggguna ojek) are those mostlikely to substitute to public transport.
ReplyDeletei don't intend to be elected. I will make myself governor and create my own flag and stuff mr. vermonte.
ReplyDeletebig decisions require steady hands!
very well treespotter, go ahead and good luck!
ReplyDelete'Za,
ReplyDeleteI'm proposing to take away some car lanes for motorcycles. A pair of motorcycles take less space than a car, and in Jakarta many cars are occupied by a single driver.
Of course, mass transport should be prioritized above all. If we take some car lanes away (creating more traffic jam), I'd say car drivers is as likely as motorcyclists to switch to mass transport.
Arya,
ReplyDeleteWell making order is really expensive in the developing countries...we should make a specialized lane which is costly instead of expect self-regulated of motorcyclists.
You ask: Ditlantas Polri (err... how to translate this, by the way?)
ReplyDeleteI answer: Traffic Police
As for the traffic problems, there won't be a "better mass transport system" until there is a city government willing to take a long-term holistic view rather than looking at short-term bandaid (Tensoplast) solutions for personal profit.
Yudo,
ReplyDeleteI think our traffic regulation is biased towards cars and against motorcycles.
Here is an example: If a car-driver see a motorcycle in front, what would s/he do? Instead of leaving the motorbike alone, the driver is likely to push forward, taking away part of the bike's right of the lane.
That's why I think there is a need for a specialized lane and regulation for motorcycles, because the present regulation, biased towards car-owners, does not give assign property rights to roads well enough.
more why no to motorbikes:
ReplyDelete"Today’s motorcycles produce more harmful emissions per mile than driving a car or even a large sport utility vehicle (SUV)." (EPA, 2003)
http://www.epa.gov/OMS/regs/roadbike/420f03046.pdf
why none of us have an idea to limit the driving license (both for cars and bike)?
ReplyDeleteI 110% agree to make specialized line for each type of transport mode. Although, my concern is how much share for each of them. Public transport definitely a must for a big city like jakarta.
Meanwhile, increasing population of both cars and motorcycle is not only because price of both of them too cheap or low tax or sort of. But, that's also because getting permission to drive is too easy. That will result bad traffic management due to bad driving behaviour, not mention that law enforcement also too easy to be bribe.
It's complex, my friend. Not as easy as just providing public transport alone and let each transportation mode being line-specialized. But also about driving behaviour and traffic-route flow.
'Za,
ReplyDeleteNot sure that report applies here. What we know is, unlike in the States, here both cars and motorcycles in Indonesia take in leaded (instead of unleaded) gasoline.
In Jakarta, I suspect both are equally polluting, especially since nobody enforces the emission regulations.
[Also, if you read further in that report, apparently technology might reduce the level of pollution from future motorcycles]
this is the way i think. even in the case of US, the emission from motorcycle is more dangerous than cars (assuming they have more strict standard than Indonesia). and the technology changes in the US according to the document just started in 2003, don't think it will be adopted that soon in Indonesia. if it's emission is dangerous, why invest on the motorcycle lane.
ReplyDeleteyes, public transport development is a not simple problem. but just taking (seriously) the busway policy, proof from Curitiba-Brasil & Bogota-Columbia shows that it works. it even changes public opinion to pro environment (people have seen the difference in living quality).
on driving licence, licence is an individual right. this problem of bribe, that's another long discussion maybe one this blog contributor would like to take on :-)