traffic!!

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I don't think I've really mentioned traffic yet and I don't know I can have been in Jakarta this long and not.

Traffic is probably the most talked about/moaned about problem in Jakarta. With the population of Greater Jakarta being at about 20 million most of whom commute in everyday that is a lot of people trying to get somewhere. Most people travel by motorcycle or car and The Jakarta Post, the main English speaking newspaper, predicted the other day by 2012 there'll be more cars than road. That's doesn't surprise me. I recently spent about 6 hours sat in traffic with Arie. We only spend about 1/2 hour at our destination which was within the city centre so not far and the whole trip took almost 7, ridiculous! I think for at least two hours we didn't move more than a car's length at a time! I'd say at the moment there's normally at least one if not more articles about traffic in the Jakarta Post everyday, oh that and the UN climate change conference in Bali.
About traffic they mostly talk about the government's failing plans to do anything about the problem. They have set up a busway, where they've dedicated lanes along certain roads to a nice air conditioned bus system but it doesn't really reach far enough and most of the lanes are still under construction and so causing even more trouble by reducing the usable space on the road. The Jakarta governor Mr Fauzi Bowo (who from what i've heard is obv. v corrupt!) has pledged to introduce cycle lanes as soon as 1 million people are using bikes, so kind of him to give such a realistic target, considering only 3,000 do now, he's really going to have to fufill that sometime soon!! They also have these elaborate plans for a monorail system and have even started construction on it in some parts even though the plans aren't even remotely near completion. I've heard about building projects that if they complete under budget or before the due date they'll knock part of it down and redo it so they don't think they'll lose out! Pattiro has just started a new programme looking into procurement within local government in fact to try and get rid of some of this kind of thing!
I went to do some 'touristy' things with Adhe this weekend and we went to visit Monas tower, a big tower Soekarno built as a symbol of Jakarta with a nice little history museum showing the fight for independence of Indonesia and also a big display on transport and the plans for the city, they looked like they'd tried to think about transport but made quite a half-hearted attempt and so not not actually carried through any of the plans.

In fact I'm liking Jakarta more and more the longer I spend here. It's def much better now I'm starting to know my way around and can actually get places by myself. Admittedly I only know the right buses to a few set places but that's better than nothing!

Today Asep and I went for a little Jalan-jalan (trip around). I had to go to the Qantas office about my flights and he came along for the journey/be my guide. A nice little chance to experience some more Jakarta transport too. The Qantas office is in the main business district so we went there by various modes of transport!
First, Angkot (little bus) from Tebet (where the Pattiro office is), then had to change and get another bus, a metro-mini (a slightly bigger bus but pretty bumped and bruised, no proper doors, it looks a bit like a big metal shell with a few seats and an engine stuck inside really!). Then for the return journey we got the Busway (the nice air conned bus) to Blok M a big bus terminal. There there is a massive market in/surrounding it so we had a little look around and had some v good mango juice! Most of the market was underneath the terminal and sold pretty much everything you could want all so cheap. Then from there we got another pretty bumped and bruised bus. This one had in house entertainment though, well a group of buskers.., three pretty young boys with guitars and drum, they were quite good too! Then after that bus we had to get the train one stop to get back to Tebet.
All in all a pretty long/hot jalan-jalan, maybe I wouldn't chose that every time over sitting for 6 hours in an air conned taxi but it would be a pretty tough call even with the heat and sweat! It was def much more interesting! (and cheaper!!!)

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Photos

The main business district of Jakarta
This was a Sunday hence the roads relatively quite..
Jalan Sudirman-Thamrin

Comments

[Sonia]

No escape!
Hi Claire Thought you had got away from it all ... looks like the M42 on the way to work!! Great to be able to keep in touch with your travels. Best wishes Sonia