Markus Junianto Sihaloho – House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie has called on officials to refrain from using police motorcades while the vast majority of commuters are immersed in bumper-to-bumper gridlock.

By law, only the president and vice president are entitled to a full police motorcade, but cabinet ministers, military generals and other officials regularly indulge in the special treatment afforded to them through their position.

Marzuki on Tuesday criticized the officials and said they should make do with a single motor-cycle outrider.

"Only in the case of an extremely busy traffic jam or an important state function can the use of a police escort be justified," he said. "And even then, one outrider should suffice."

The Democratic Party lawmaker also said that for trips outside the capital, where traffic congestion pales in comparison with Jakarta's infamously clogged arteries, state officials should go it alone and not use the escorts at all.

Bambang Soesatyo of the Golkar Party backed the call, saying it would help the government cut its operational costs. "Besides, it's no secret that the use of escorts only makes the traffic even worse for other commuters," he said.

However, Ramadhan Pohan of the Democratic Party said state officials required police escorts, particularly in Jakarta. He said officials often had packed agendas that required them to travel between different parts of the city.

He justified the use of police escorts to ensure quick commutes and, by extension, more effective meetings. "However, if officials use police escorts for personal use, then that's just plain wrong," he said.

The call comes on the back of Philippine President Benigno Aquino's declaration that he would suffer Manila's congested roads. The new president has barred his police escorts from using sirens and has ordered his driver to stop at red lights.

On his first day in office, Aquino was caught in traffic and was late for an official event. He has since said he would just wake up earlier and leave earlier.

Jakarta's traffic is among the worst in Asia. With vehicle ownership rates on the rise and the absence of a subway or other efficient system, experts fear that the capital is in for a much tougher time down the road.