​Motorcyclists still prefer to take shortcuts around banned motorcycle route than getting on a free bus

 
The Jakarta Police analyzed that people are still not taking full advantage of the free buses provided by the Jakarta Provincial Government to make up for the motorcycle ban along Jalan MH Thamrin and Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta.
 
One day into the one-month motorcycle ban trial, tourists are mostly getting on the free buses instead.
 
“It looks like motorcyclists haven’t made the switch to the free buses. So people who have been getting on the bus are tourists,” said Irvan Prawira, Head of Road Safety at the Jakarta Police, as quoted by Merdeka today.
 
Irvan said most motorcyclists still prefer alternate routes or shortcuts around the banned motorcycle route.
 
“On the first day motorcyclists are taking a wait and see attitude, in other words they’re scoping out alternate routes. Truthfully, the ban isn’t difficult to enforce because the route is only 2.7 km long. And along the banned motorcycle route there are lots of back roads,” he said.
 
There’s also the matter of expensive parking fees for motorcycles in parking spaces around the area.
 
“Maybe it doesn’t make sense for them to pay a parking fee and leave their motorcycles at parking lots for hours, and then have to get on the bus everyday,” Irvan said.