The Transportation Ministry may soon enforce a two-layered traffic policy in the popular mountainous destination of Puncak in West Java on the weekends, as the odd-even rule on its own appears to be ineffective in managing increasing traffic after COVID-19 mobility restrictions eased recently.
The ministry’s Director General of Land Transport Budi Setiyadi said the odd-even rule implemented last weekend to overcome traffic congestion saw little success, thus prompting officials to consider limiting the number of passengers per vehicle on top of it.
Authorities are now considering whether capping the minimum passengers at four — more commonly known as the 4-in-1 rule — for four-wheeled vehicles could help ease congestion.
“That means if the odd-even rule is in place but the volume or capacity of vehicles is still high enough that it disrupts the road use, we will use the second layer,” Budi told reporters in Puncak yesterday.
As such, the Transport Ministry says it will work together with local authorities, including the police departments from Bogor, Cianjur, Sukabumi, and West Java, as well as the Bogor Regency administration, to try and implement the double-layered traffic policy.
Budi said the first week of implementing the odd-even rule on its own was hindered by a lack of awareness among travelers, as many ended up waiting at toll gates to cross inspection when officers were taking a break, or looking for alternative routes to bypass the regulation.
Located around 70 kilometers south of Jakarta, Puncak is located in Bogor and Cianjur regencies. The area is situated at the foot and slopes of Gede and Pangrango mountains, and it’s a popular destination for domestic and foreign tourists, especially as a weekend getaway for Jakartans.
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