Waze Adds Feature to Help Jakarta Drivers Comply With Odd-Even Traffic Policy
Jakarta. Waze, a popular smartphone navigation application owned by Google, announced a new feature that helps drivers avoid roads restricted by Jakarta's odd-even traffic policy.
The policy, which has been in effect since 2016, applies to the capital's major thoroughfares as part of the government's efforts to reduce congestion. Major roads, such as Jalan Sudirman, Jalan Thamrin and Jalan Gatot Subroto, are closed for cars with odd-numbered license plates on even-numbered days, and vice versa, from Monday to Friday between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
"Our Waze License Plate Feature hit Brazil first and today launches in Jakarta, Indonesia," Waze said in a statement on Wednesday (18/10).
"If you're Waze-ing in Brazil or Jakarta and you add your license plate number to the app and enter your destination, you can be confident your route will be optimized for efficiency and adhere to new road restrictions," the post said.
Jakarta's Wazers – as app users call themselves – should update the Waze app on their smartphones to the latest version and enter the last two digits of their license plate numbers under the settings tab in the app.
"But even if you don't, we'll still make sure you're driving on unrestricted roads," the post said, which makes the app more convenient for motorcycle riders.
Waze's new feature was announced at the "Google for Indonesia" event in August, along with other new features that allow drivers to listen to music on Spotify and new Indonesian language voice prompts. Wazers can also record their own voices.
Waze began as a mapping startup that was bought by tech giant Google in 2013. At the time of purchase, Waze had 750,000 active users in Indonesia.
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