The trial for Jakarta’s odd-even traffic rule expansion, which sees 16 major roads added to the vehicle rationing policy to take the total number of roads affected to 25, began last week ahead of its official enforcement on September 9. Although the trial is underway, the city is still working out some details related to exemptions to the policy.
While the odd-even rule does not apply to motorcycles and taxis, Governor Anies Baswedan says the city administration is considering making cars for app-based ride-hailing services exempt from the rule as well for the convenience of their passengers.
“Right now, the Transportation Agency and the management from Grab are talking about [vehicle] designations,” Anies told reporters yesterday, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
Anies said that if the ride-hailing exemption were to pass, then those cars would need special markers to signify that the odd-even rule do not apply to them.
“One of the ways to do the exemption would be to give [the cars] yellow license plates,” he said. Yellow license plates are currently given to road public transportation vehicles such as conventional taxis, buses and angkot minivans.
Djoko Setijowarno, a transportation analyst, warned the government that making ride-hailing cars exempt from the odd-even rule could lead to an undesired effect.
“It’s possible that all car owners would register their cars for ride-sharing. Then the government’s transportation policy would be futile,” he told CNN Indonesia.
The expansion of the odd-even rule — which only allows cars with license plates ending with an even number to be used on affected roads on even calendar dates and vice-versa for odd dates — was announced as part of Anies’ drive to reduce carbon emissions and combat the capital’s air pollution crisis, which has put the city administration and the central government under immense pressure in recent months.
Here are the 16 roads that will be covered under the expanded rule. During the month-long trial period that started last week, motorists found violating the rule would only be given verbal warnings:
– Jalan Pintu Besar Selatan
– Jalan Gajah Mada
– Jalan Hayam Wuruk
– Jalan Majapahit
– Jalan Sisingamangaraja
– Jalan Panglima Polim
– Jalan RS Fatmawati (starting from the intersection of Jalan Ketimun 1 to Jalan TB Simatupang)
– Jalan Suryopranoto
– Jalan Balikpapan
– Jalan Kyai Caringin
– Jalan Tomang Raya
– Jalan Pramuka
– Jalan Salemba Raya
– Jalan Kramat Raya
– Jalan Senen Raya
– Jalan Gunung Sahari
The odd-even rule currently covers these roads:
– Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat
– Jalan MH Thamrin
– Jalan Jenderal Sudirman
– Jalan Jenderal S Parman
– Jalan Gatot Subroto
– Jalan Jenderal MT Haryono
– Jl HR Rasuna Said
– Jl D.I. Panjaitan
– Jl Jendral A Yani
The odd-even rule will remain in effect during weekday mornings from 6am-10am as before, but when the expansion officially goes into effect on Sept 9, the odd-even’s evening hours will also be expanded from 4pm-9pm (currently the odd-even is enforced until 8pm).
The odd-even rule does not apply to motorcycles and taxis and is not enforced on weekends or public holidays. Those found violating the regulation can be fined IDR500,000 (US$35).
