[sustran] Achilles' heel of BRT? - WAS: Jakarta busway twists and turns?

[Carlosfelipe Pardo]

Regarding the issue on exclusive bus lanes being overtaken by cars:

- in Bogotá, informal public transport operators have once or twice 
tried to gain the use of exclusive lanes for BRT, with no luck 
(fortunately, until now)
- in Quito, traffic police have decided that, in some sectors of the 
city, it would be best to let cars go into the exclusive BRT lanes, to 
"relieve congestion". We have done our best to reestablish the priority 
of BRT buses and to explain traffic police why it should be that way, 
without 100% effectiveness to date.
- now in Jakarta, a similar temporary measure is being implemented, 
during construction.

I am sometimes frightened by this situation. In the case of Bogotá, 
there is an appropriate legal environment that makes it impossible for 
all vehicles except BRT vehicles to use the exclusive lane. However, the 
fact that lanes can be taken by other vehicles is one of the fragile 
elements of BRT, especially due to the fact that many car drivers see 
the exclusive lane  as a waste of space (and thus, ask for a metro). 
Explaining to everyone the efficiency of use of space and the need to 
give priority to public transport is very difficult.

The reaction to ask for more roads for private transport is literally 
what a 5-year old would do, from a developmental psychology point of 
view (Piaget's experiments on permanence, etc): in short-term thinking, 
it seems only logical that the "empty space" should be filled with other 
cars to improve traffic flow. What is really an improved efficiency of 
space (e.g. no traffic jam on the exclusive lane due to a properly 
planned public transport system) is seen as a "waste of space" and the 
typical solution is requested: more space for cars. The immediate 
consequence (e.g. cars anyway clogged in traffic) proves that the 
solution was anyway wrong, but the 20-second time span when cars were 
moving to the empty lane seemed rewarding enough to make them do it 
again, and again, and again.

Strange. And this, unfortunately, has consequences on political 
decisions (e.g. "we need a subway or light rail because there just isn't 
any space for buses").

A conclusion could be: traffic police (and many car users) need more 
exercise on abstract reasoning. What to do? Comments are most welcome.

Best regards,

Carlosfelipe Pardo
Coordinador de Proyecto- Project Coordinator
GTZ - Proyecto de Transporte Sostenible (SUTP, SUTP-LAC)
Cl 93A # 14-17 of 708
Bogotá D.C., Colombia
Tel/fax:  +57 (1) 236 2309  Mobile: +57 (3) 15 296 0662