Jakarta Imposes Harsh Penalties for Driving in Busway Lanes
Jakarta. The Jakarta administration started on Monday (13/06) to impose harsh penalties on drivers who encroach on TransJakarta busway lanes, in a move to improve public transportation in the capital.
Police will issue any driver who enters the busway lanes with a fine of Rp 500,000 ($37).
Fines must be paid at a designated bank before the deadline stated on the so-called "blue slip" traffic ticket, which is issued to drivers for traffic law violations. Payment of the fine is also deemed an admission of guilt, while a failure to do so may result in the revocation of a vehicle's registration certificate.
Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama said the city has called on the Jakarta Police's traffic unit to indiscriminately implement the regulation without impunity.
Besides TransJakarta buses, only ministerial vehicles with official "RI" number plates, ambulances and firetrucks are allowed to drive on the dedicated lanes.
"Even the governor's cars are not allowed to drive on busway lanes. Government officials and embassy vehicles are not allowed to enter the lanes either," Ahok said on Saturday, as reported by Antara news agency.
University of Indonesia transportation expert Ellen SW Tangkudung commended the governor's efforts to clear the TransJakarta busway lanes of private vehicles and motorcycles by installing hundreds of movable concrete barriers along the capital's thoroughfares.
"I think that allowing ambulances and firetrucks to enter the busway lanes for emergency purposes is a good idea," Ellen said on Monday.
By implementing tougher penalties, it will also become clear to the public who are permitted to enter the busway lanes and who are not, Ellen added.
The city administration imposed similar penalties in 2013, but police did not strictly enforce the regulation and instead did so at their discretion in order to ease congestion.
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