Dina Indrasafitri, Jakarta – Following public protests over daily jams caused by his motorcade, the President is considering travelling to work by helicopter or moving into Merdeka Palace.
Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said Yudhoyono took the recent public complaints seriously.
"The President is taking in all of the suggestions, but it will take time to analyze the situation before we can make the best decision," Julian told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview on Sunday.
Yudhoyono currently lives at his private residence in Cikeas, an upscale housing complex near Bogor. It takes him around 45 minutes to get to his office on a normal day when traffic is light.
Last week, Kompas daily published a letter of complaint from a resident, Hendra N.S, who lives in a neighborhood not far from Yudhoyono.
Hendra said he had been mistreated by one of the presidential security guards when the motorcade was about to overtake him on a busy road.
He said the escort officers had given confusing instructions, ordering him to move out of the way before banging on the hood of his car.
The letter triggered more angry protests from the public, with some suggesting the President should stop going back and forth from Cikeas every day. Others advised he take a helicopter so as not to make Jakarta's traffic problems worse. The roads between Cikeas and the city, including the tollway, are notoriously busy.
News portal Kompas.com quoted legislator Ganjar Pranowo saying the President should remain in the palace during the week to avoid traffic disruptions and to improve his work efficiency.
Julian, however, said Yudhoyono spent a considerable amount of time at the palace. "[He spends] at least three days [a week] there... sometimes he even stays over the weekend." Julian said.
Most of Yudhoyono's journeys to and from Cikeas were made late at night or very early in the morning, he said. "[Yudhoyono] goes home because he has other things to do outside his national duties... which include family meetings."
Most of the time Yudhoyono did not allow for streets leading to the palace to be blocked to clear the way for his motorcade, and requested that only one route be dedicated for the purpose, Julian said.
In fact, before the letter was published, Yudhoyono had requested that the line of convoys to be shortened, "but sometimes other people join his convoys".
There were several "security considerations" regarding the road closures and convoys, which include armored cars and a medical unit.
Darmaningtyas from the Indonesian NGO on Transport Issues (Instran) said officials' penchant for convoys and road closures denied citizens their rights.
"An official's function is to serve the people... the palace is a place for the President, so he should stay there and go to Cikeas on holidays only," he said.
According to Darmaningtyas, if each time an official convoy went past roads needed to be closed for five minutes, Jakarta's residents were losing a massive amount of time while officials whizzed past.
Yudhoyono's Cabinet has more than 35 ministers and, as with the President, most use convoys and road closures when travelling on official business.
SBY's Philippines counterpart, Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, meanwhile, is known for his controversial choice to experience the same traffic congestion other people must face in Manila.
Darmaningtyas dismissed the idea of using a helicopter. "Who would pay for that? The public should not be burdened," he said.