[sustran] Re: Indonesia's traffic nightmare

Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory edelman at greenidea.eu
Sun Jun 28 21:42:01 JST 2009


Hi Sudhir,

This caught my eye:

"...The law is a triumph for the automotive industry.."

Which automobile makers are among the most active in Indonesia? Or with 
the highest sales?

Thanks,
T

Sudhir wrote:
> *"lawmakers voted unanimously this month to demand disabled people 
> wear signs announcing their condition so motorists won't run them down 
> as they cross the street.*"
>
> http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/SE%2BAsia/Story/STIStory_396512.html
>
>  JAKARTA - NEW laws requiring disabled pedestrians to wear traffic 
> signs have met with frustration and derision in Indonesia, where in 
> the eyes of the law cars have taken priority over people.
>
> The laws will do nothing to improve road safety or ease the traffic 
> that is choking the life out of the capital city of some 12 million 
> people, and serve only to highlight official incompetence, analysts said.
>
> Within five years, if nothing changes, experts predict Jakarta will 
> reach total gridlock, with every main road and backstreet clogged with 
> barely moving, pollution-spewing cars.
>
> That's too late for the long-awaited urban rail link known as the Mass 
> Rapid Transit (MRT), which has only just entered the design stage and 
> won't be operational until 2016 at the earliest.
>
> 'Just like a big flood, Jakarta could be paralysed. The city's 
> mobility will die,' University of Indonesia researcher Nyoman Teguh 
> Prasidha said.
>
> Instead of requiring level footpaths and ramps, l/awmakers voted 
> unanimously this month to demand disabled people wear signs announcing 
> their condition so motorists won't run them down as they cross the street.
> /
> Experts say the new traffic law is sadly typical of a country which 
> for decades has allowed cars and an obsession with car ownership to 
> run rampant over basic imperatives of urban planning.
>
> 'It is strange when handicapped people are asked to carry extra 
> burdens and obligations,' Institute of Transportation Studies 
> (Instran) chairman Darmaningtyas said.
>
> 'The law is a triumph for the automotive industry. It's completely 
> useless for alleviating the traffic problem.' The number of motor 
> vehicles including motorcycles in greater Jakarta has almost tripled 
> in the past eight years to 9.52 million. Meanwhile road space has 
> grown less than one percent annually since 2004, according to the 
> Indonesian Transport Society.
>
> 'Traffic congestion is like cancer,' Institute for Transportation and 
> Development Policy specialist Harya Setyaka said. 'This cancer has 
> developed over 30 years as Jakarta begins to develop haphazardly 
> beyond its carrying capacity.' A 2004 study by the Japan International 
> Cooperation Agency found that traffic jams cost Jakarta some 8.3 
> trillion rupiah (822 million dollars) a year in extra fuel 
> consumption, lost productivity and health impact. -- AFP
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Sudhir Gota
> Transport Specialist
> CAI-Asia Center
> Unit 3510, 35th Floor, Robinsons-Equitable Tower,
> ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City
> Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
> Tel: +63-2-395-2843
> Fax: +63-2-395-2846
> http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia
> Skype : sudhirgota
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> -------------------------------------------------------- 
> To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit
> http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss
>
> -------------------------------------------------------- 
> If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights.
>
> ================================================================
> SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South'). 


-- 
--------------------------------------------

Todd Edelman
Green Idea Factory

Urbanstr. 45
D-10967 Berlin
Germany

Skype: toddedelman
Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081
Home/Office: ++49 030 7554 0001

edelman at greenidea.eu
www.greenidea.eu
www.facebook.com/toddedelman
www.flickr.com/photos/edelman

CAR is over. If you want it.

"Fort mit der Autostadt und was Neues hingebaut!" 
- B. Brecht (with slight modification)

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20090628/7f0c1984/attachment.html


More information about the Sustran-discuss mailing list