Adianto P. Simamora and Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – The next governor must reconsider government policies from the point of view of ordinary people, tackling poverty, garbage and transportation problems first, urban observers say.
Bambang Susantono, the chairman of the Jakarta-based Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI), said the capital had no blueprint for improving the transportation system.
"It is important for the governor to avoid making unpopular policies during his first 100 days in office," he said Thursday. "We suggest the governor make policies that promote public transportation."
The current administration, of which Fauzi Bowo who looks certain to win the election is deputy governor, developed the Jakarta Macro Transportation Scheme incorporating a busway, monorail, subway and waterway. Both the subway and monorail projects, however, have run up against funding problems.
The administration currently operates seven busway corridors out of the planned 15 routes across the capital. But problems such as poor facilities and the unreliability of the feeder services that are supposed to complement the system have discouraged many people from regularly taking the busway.
The administration had estimated the construction of the 15 corridors would reduce the use of private cars in the capital by 30 percent, avoiding what it termed the worst case scenario: gridlock by 2014.
Ahmad Safrudin, the chairman of the Joint Committee for Leaded Gasoline Phase-Out (KPBB), said the elected governor must be consistent in policy implementation.
"The administration's inconsistency is responsible for the lukewarm response to the busway. The governor must get straight to the tasks of improving busway facilities and making the system's management more efficient," he said.
Nining I. Soesilo, the director of the University of Indonesia's Small and Middle Enterprises Study Center, said the new administration should sponsor micro-credit programs to alleviate poverty and stimulate economic growth.
"There are 18 people who work independently among every 1,000 residents. About 90 percent of the 18 people work at an SME and they are mostly poor."
She said the government's existing micro-credit scheme was in need of revision. "The micro-credit scheme has been too supply-oriented. The community thinks only about disbursing the money quickly and spending it. Empowering people is not as simple as dropping money in their laps. It must be accompanied by capacity-building in each community," she said.
Ahmad, who is also a prominent environmentalist, suggested the new governor first explore water issues as they affected low- and-middle-income families. "The administration must find ways to formulate and implement solutions to water problems and resources management, including flooding in the city."
Ahmad also urged the governor to prioritize resolving the city's longstanding waste problem in his first 100 days in office. "The policy must be aimed at educating the public to treat household garbage before disposing of it at the dump in (neighboring) Bekasi," he said.
Much of the 6,000 tons of garbage the city produces daily is currently transported to Bantar Gebang dump in Bekasi. Governor Sutiyoso has asked his successor to continue with the programs he initiated during his 10-year tenure.
"The new governor must go ahead with the programs to handle the floods, education and waste and continue with transportation projects such as the busway, monorail and subway," he said.
Sutiyoso, who ends his second term in October, also urged the elected governor to soon realize the megapolitan concept, which would integrate Jakarta and its supporting areas of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, Puncak and Cianjur into one area called Jabodetabekpunjur. Sutiyoso floated the megapolitan concept last year.
The House of Representatives endorsed last month the revised Jakarta Administrative Law stipulating the integrated spatial planning of Jabodetabekpunjur.