Hans David Tampubolon, Jakarta – As roads in the city get more congested and the level of service of mass transportation deteriorates, Jakartans are turning to private vehicles in droves, abandoning public transportation and forming a vicious cycle of traffic woes.

Jakarta Police spokesman Royke Lumowa said that in the past five years, more people used motorcycles and private cars to get around. "If the trend continues, we could soon see public transportation vehicles completely abandoned," he said.

Royke cited a study by the Jabodetabek Urban Transportation Policy Integration Project (JUTPI), which said public transport utilization decreased 25.4 percent between 2002 and 2010.

"In 2010, 12.9 percent of commuters in Jakarta used public transportation, whereas in 2002, 38.3 percent of commuters relied on public transportation vehicles," he said.

In the same period, Jakarta has also seen a surge in the number of people using motorcycles to get around in the city.

"In 2002, only 21.7 percent of commuters rode motorcycles, while in 2010, motorcyclists made up 48.7 percent of the commuters in the city. We're assuming they used public transportation before making the switch to motorcycles," he added.

The JUTPI study also showed an increase in the use of private cars. In 2002, 11.6 percent of commuters used private cars. The figures in 2010 rose to 13.5 percent. The small increase may be indicative of a move by more commuters to switch to motorcycles.

"Most residents prefer using motorcycles to avoid heavy congestion in rush hours," he said, adding that not only was it faster, but it was also cheaper than using a car.

Adding to his gloomy outlook for public transportation, Royke said commuters perceived public transportation vehicles as unsafe, due in large part to reckless drivers and thugs onboard. "We really need to upgrade our public transportation system," he said.

The Jakarta Transportation Agency said that in 2010, 320 of the 1,642 buses impounded for traffic violations were not roadworthy. In 2010, police issued 333 tickets to bus drivers for reckless driving.

As of Jan. 11 this year, the agency had banned 35 buses from operating and fined 10 drivers. The agency said it planned to continue its crack-down, as 8,428 of the city's 11,091 buses had not completed the required vehicle standards test.