No matter how much in fines have been paid collectively by motorcyclists in Jakarta, and no matter how many shameful stories about law-breaking two-wheelers have been written by the media, there is seemingly just no stopping many of them from disregarding the rules of the road.
One of the latest motorcycle-related outrages to go viral on social media happened on Jalan MT Haryono near Cawang, one of the busiest streets in Jakarta. Instagram user @citra_piencie yesterday posted a video taken from inside a TransJakarta bus, showing around a dozen motorcyclists driving the wrong way in the Busway lane, which can only legally be used by TransJakarta buses and emergency vehicles.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXSdLL-FM2L/?taken-by=citra_piencie
Motorcycles being driven in Busway lanes is not an unusual sight in Jakarta, despite the hefty fine of Rp 500K for those who get caught and ticketed. But in this video, the law breaking motorcyclists were seemingly forced to turn back (most likely because there were traffic police officers ready to fine them up ahead) but were unable to leave the Busway lane due to the tall road separator (meant to keep other vehicles, like theirs, out) and the fact that there was a huge TransJakarta bus in it as well.
Some dared to squeeze to the left of the bus, while some had the gall to direct the bus to drive slightly to the right so they could pass to its left. Meanwhile, a couple of motorcyclists decided to help each other lift their two-wheeled vehicles over the road separator, undoubtedly holding up traffic on the street.
The police have not commented on the viral video, so it’s likely that none of the motorcyclists in the video were punished for their selfish behavior.
During a recent traffic raid on motorcycles driving on the forbidden Kasablanka flyover in South Jakarta, some motorcyclists who were fined said that they risked breaking the law just so they could avoid the city’s notorious traffic jams. It seems that many motorcyclists in the capital live by that mentality, seemingly placing less value on their safety and the safety others’ than their time.
While numerous car drivers have been guilty of unlawfully driving in the Busway lane as well, it’s much more dangerous for motorcyclists to do so. Just last month, a man miraculously survived with only a broken leg after a TransJakarta bus ran over him and his motorcycle, while in May, a woman died after her motorcycle collided with a TransJakarta bus. Both incidents occurred after the victims decided to break the law by driving in the Busway lane.
