Arientha Primanita, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo finally apologized for Monday evening's monstrous traffic gridlock – but to a visiting foreign delegation instead of his constituents.
"I'm sorry for the traffic you have to go through while you're here," he told delegates from the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on Thursday, during a governors' and mayors' convention. "It's because of the increased population and [low public] welfare."
The governor was widely criticized for attempting to deflect blame over severe traffic congestion on Monday, which was caused by heavy rains and flooding. Fauzi called the incident "extraordinary," but said the situation was out of his hands.
He blamed nature for causing the snarl, while experts blamed inadequate infrastructure. "The rain wasn't my fault, and it was heavy," Fauzi said.
Critics have pointed out that the condition of the city's storm drains, which an official had acknowledged were only 20 percent functional, was well within his authority to fix.
The city's TransJakarta busway network, meant to help ease congestion, was paralyzed in Monday's downpour. The busway network has been touted by Fauzi's administration as one of the solutions to the city's chronic traffic problems, mainly due to the increasing number of private vehicles hitting the roads, which has been costing the government billions of rupiah every year to address.
On Thursday, however, Fauzi once again played up TransJakarta's merits as a solution to traffic issues. He told the ASEM delegates about the eight routes that the busway currently served, and said that two more corridors were due to open later this year.
He also told them about the city's plans, unveiled last month, to have a fully-operating Mass Rapid Transit rail line by 2016, equipped with 13 stops along a 15.5-kilometer route. He said the government would also revitalize existing rail networks and improve traffic management.
Muhammad Sanusi, chairman of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and a member of the Jakarta City Council, said Fauzi's statements on Thursday were not the kind of assurances people were looking for. "What the people want is action, not just words," he said. "People are angry because traffic congestion and flooding remain the biggest problems in the city."
Fauzi noted the public's anger over Monday's nightmare, saying he would welcome any class-action lawsuit filed against his administration over the traffic fiasco.
The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) said it had received numerous complaints from citizens, urging it to sue the administration in the hope that the government would improve the delivery of public services and boost infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, part of the ASEM delegation, said floods and traffic jams were common problems in highly urbanized areas. "I think big cities must invest more in the public transportation system and infrastructure for the public because that is the goal for the future," he said.
Wowereit said the administrations of Jakarta and Berlin, which are sister cities, planned to "engage in greater cooperation and sharing of experience to help each other boost the provision of public services."