Refl : Dirgahayu Dirgahayu! http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/greater-jakartas-bad-roads-bad-traffic-everyones-a-victim/414637
Greater Jakarta's Bad Roads, Bad Traffic - Everyone's a Victim Vento Saudale, Arientha Primanita & Yuli Krisna | January 02, 2011 Trucks on Jalan Sudamanik in Bogor. The road, which connects West Java with Banten, has been in a poor state for over five years. (Antara Photo) Do you believe you are putting your life on the line when crossing a road that lacks even a zebra crossing? Are you someone whose most productive hours each day are spent in traffic on just a single road in the Greater Jakarta area, either pockmarked with potholes, jammed with container trucks - or both? You are not alone. The horrific roads in the Greater Jakarta area affect people from all walks of life. Anto, 43, said his daily traffic nightmare occurs on Jalan Caringin in the industrial complex of Bogor district. "Even truck drivers are afraid of this road, which is very narrow, but they have to pass it. Caringin gets you stressed out, especially during the rush hours. Three hours of your day: gone!" Anto said. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Rita from Sawangan, Bogor, pointed out that her headache was traveling toward Parung from Bogor, particularly during heavy rains. "The damage on Jalan Raya Parung-Bogor sometimes makes you think you are risking your life. Some of the potholes on that road have a width of 2 meters. Every single motorist I know tries to avoid those holes," Rita said. Arman, 49, an angkot (public minivan) driver serving the Parung-Bogor route, said that every minivan driver loathes the massive potholes at the Arco intersection in Parung. "Those potholes bring down the amount of money we earn each day, drastically. They cause traffic jams of up to two hours each day. Not to mention the risk to human lives - motorcycle tires can all too easily get stuck in those holes." The head of Bogor's public works office, Asep Yuyun, said that people should not just point fingers at the local government. "Not everything can be fixed by us. Some of those roads are owned by the state," Asep said. According to 29-year-old Christian, a resident of Kemang subdistrict in Bogor, the worst part of his daily journey is the road from the area around the Atang Sendjaja airforce base toward the village of Semplak Barat in Kemang. "The potholes are massive. The road is practically stripped down to its bare minimum," Christian said. Bogor, like Bekasi and Depok, which also suffer from horrible roads, fall under the jurisdiction of West Java province. West Java is planning to build two main roads next year in Bogor district, partly funded by the central government, officials have announced. It is hoped the 47-kilometer Sentul-Cisarua-Jonggol road will help alleviate the burden on the Jakarta-Puncak road, said M. Guntoro, head of the West Java branch of Bina Marga, the state agency that oversees road infrastructure. The other road to be built in Bogor will be 18 kilometers long and run from Citeurup to Nambo. Deny Djuanda, head of West Java's Regional Development Planning Board (Bappeda), said that toll roads are the province's best bet to overcome its traffic woes. He said the provincial administration had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Public Works Ministry to involve regional state-owned enterprises in the land appropriation for the 40 km-long Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuan (Cisumdawu) toll road project. "The Cisumdawu corridor now takes three hours to pass. With a toll road, it can be done in 40 minutes. Traffic along the Soreang-Pasir Koja [where another toll road is planned] is always packed and the traffic in Bandung is heavy as well," Deny said. "We want to change the paradigm. From 2011, the projects will no longer only be seen as solutions to traffic problems but also as ways to develop new growth centers," he added. "After Soreang-Pasir Koja there is the Bandung inner toll road project. So, there will be three toll road projects there." Jakarta is no stranger to disastrous roads. On Sept. 16, a 103-meter stretch of Jalan Martadinata collapsed into the river, disrupting traffic into and out of Tanjung Priok port, but not causing any casualties. And two weeks ago, a 30-meter section of a newly-completed concrete embankment for the Siantar River near Jalan Petojo in Central Jakarta collapsed. Also, a portion of Jalan Pekapuran III in West Jakarta's Tambora subdistrict has collapsed. Locals have said that motorists had fallen victim to the gaping hole there, but so far nothing has been done. Another problem is the lack of zebra crossings and pedestrian bridges in some areas. The Jakarta Transportation Agency said such requests are made often, but the budget is limited and bridges are built "based on necessity." 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