Jakarta – Jakarta's controversial three-in-one carpooling system, suspended temporarily this week (5-8 April) and next week (11-13 April), could be replaced with a new system restricting access to certain roads according to cars' even or odd-numbered license plates.

The "even-odd" system will take over also temporarily, as city administration remains adamant that the only solution to gridlock on Jakarta's main roads is electronic road pricing (ERP), where cars are forced to pay a fee to enter certain roads.

But, as Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama said on Tuesday (05/04), they still need to iron out a few kinks in the ERP system before they can roll it out to the public. At the moment, the Jakarta administration is still preparing regulations and payment procedures for ERP.

"We will look at the results of three-in-one's suspension. If traffic gets worse, we'll use the even-odd system while waiting for the ERP. But if there's no change, then there's no need for the even-odd system," Basuki said at City Hall.

Under the even-odd system, cars with license plates ending in even or odd numbers will take turn every other day to pass through Jakarta's main thoroughfares.

The system has been planned since 2003, but was never implemented as the Jakarta administration initially expected ERP to take over from three-in-one immediately, Basuki said.

Adj. Sr. Comr. Budiyanto of the Jakarta Police's traffic unit, meanwhile, said the temporary halt of the three-in-one system did affect traffic on Tuesday, for the worse. "There has been an increase in traffic volume from Slipi and Pancoran to Semanggi," Budiyanto said.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/even-odd-replace-three-in-one/