Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – The Jakarta administration's latest policy that allows motorists to use the busway lanes to ease traffic congestion is absurd and will backfire, transportation observers said.

Tulus Abadi of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation told a press conference Monday the policy would make the busway system no different to other public transportation modes in the city.

"With this policy, the administration should forget making more people leave their cars at home to take the busway. The existing passengers may even stop taking it since it would be no different to regular air-conditioned buses," Tulus said.

The busway lanes were built to be used exclusively by the city's TransJakarta buses and are supposed to be free from traffic jams, thereby making city travel faster.

"It's clear the administration (is still) paying more attention to private car owners than to the existence of a good public transportation system," he said.

The administration decided to open busway lanes for all motorists for a month starting Monday in response to worsening traffic congestion in the capital over the past few months. The decision was made after a meeting with Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal last week in which solutions for Jakarta's traffic congestion problems were discussed.

The administration, in cooperation with the City Police, the Transportation Agency and Public Order Agency, deployed 2,200 officials to clear 112 congestion spots usually clogged by illegal on-street parking, waiting public minivans, street vendors and pools of motorcycle-taxi drivers.

Governor Fauzi Bowo said he would review the policy within a month to decide whether to extend it.

Darmaningtyas of the Institute of Transportation Studies said the administration should find another solution to the city's traffic congestion issue rather than jeopardize the effectiveness of the busway.

He said drivers of private vehicles should be targeted to help reduce traffic jams in the capital. "It is time to increase parking fees and toll road fares. It would be even better if the administration introduced road pricing. An increase in travel costs is the only way to reduce the use of private cars."

Private cars comprise a large portion of the number of vehicles on Jakarta's streets daily. The Transportation Agency recorded that around 44 percent of the 7 million daily travelers traversing the city were private vehicle owners, while the remainder were passengers of public transportation vehicles, including the busway system.

City Transportation Council member Azas Tigor Nainggolan said the administration should improve the existing busway service if it was serious about implementing its Mass Rapid Transit plan.

"The problem with the busway is that it keeps expanding but the administration fails to provide supporting facilities for motorists along each corridor," he said.

He said despite the rapid network expansion to 10 corridors, the administration failed to build parking areas and feeder buses so people could leave their cars at home and conveniently use the busway.