Jakarta – The police will reinstate Jakarta's controversial 3-in-1 carpooling system until the alternative electronic road pricing system is ready.

The decision was made after a temporary suspension of the system led to increased traffic congestion on affected roads in the last two weeks.

Traffic increased 24.6 percent on Jakarta's main thoroughfares for four days last week while the 3-in-1 system was suspended. The carpooling system bans cars with fewer than three occupants from entering several main thoroughfares during rush hours.

"Traffic was particularly bad on roads heading to Semanggi, Sudirman and Thamrin," Adj. Sr. Comr. Budiyanto of the Jakarta Police's traffic unit said on Wednesday (13/04).

The temporary suspension was imposed again this week for three days starting on Monday, and the result was "not much different" from last week. "Traffic ran smoothly only after 10 p.m.," Budiyanto said. "We have proposed the reinstatement of the 3-in-1 system until its replacement is ready," he added.

The Jakarta administration has long planned a transition from the carpooling system to the long-overdue ERP system. The technology and infrastructure for the ERP, which bills drivers for using certain roads by means of onboard units, have been available for quite some time, but the administration still has not signed off on its regulations and payment procedures.

"It may take a long time, maybe one to one-and-a-half years, before that happens," Budiyanto said.