Plis Deh Jakarta!

Let’s try to breakdown the logic of this problem:

So 55 five buses for the Transjakarta armada are not operating. Why? No gas.

Why no gas? No money to pay for it.

Why no money to pay for it? The Transjakara general services department has not given the bus operators money to pay for the gas.

Why haven’t Transjakarta paid the operator money for gas?

And that, my friends, is the real question.

Hating people who cut lines on the Transjakarta queue, or people littering in the Transjakarta facilities?

This lady (and her group) has the right idea: she always scolds people cutting in line, and tells on people who litter. For most Jakartans, it may be a bit harsh, but maybe it’s just what we need – we live in the city where people wear motorcycle helmets because of police nearby, and not for their own safety.

Suara Transjakarta is, I think, a better way for citizen activism, compared to endless demonstrations in front of government buildings. These guys are not pro-government, mind you – they have their criticism towards the Transjakarta service as well. But they are working positively on how, at least, the average citizen can make Transjakarta better. Because if we want to make Jakarta more tolerable to live in, it’s also up to us, not just the government…

Note the ‘no turning to the left’ sign marked ‘city buses only’ (right top corner).

I mentioned on this article about some sort of gate contraption that blocks the busway lane to vehicles other than the Transjakarta. Apparently it still doesn’t work, although it doesn’t have anything to do with the electronics this time. Motorcycle drivers still attempt to enter the busway lane, even with the large gate and signs indicating that they should not. I mean, look at the picture in the article, you can’t miss it even if you tried. Or maybe many Jakartan drivers do not know the meaning of this sign? I see the verboten sign ignored so often that it makes me wonder.

Is it a problem of communication, or a problem of ignorance? 

And thus, these motorcycle drivers push to do anything to get where they’re going faster, so they have more time to sit in the pantry and smoke some cigarettes.

Thanks to Aulia for pointing out the article.

The Transjakarta management company is trying out automatic gates for the busway lanes to install at intersections, to avoid other cars, motorcycles and buses entering the busway lane (and making the busway lane totally pointless). It’s a good idea, but an idea is just an idea if you can’t put it into practise – the trial gate installed didn’t have enough electricity wattage to power it from the busway shelter. One can’t help to use this as an analogy to basically any other issue concerning the government.

A guy, wanting to get out faster out of the Transjakarta bus stop, gets out of the line going out through the gate to the gate next to it. He stops. Even though the exit gate is clearly marked and the entrance gates have ‘do not pass’ markings also, he still tries to go through, until he realises the gate is not meant for exiting. Then he goes back to the small line at the exit gate.

How long was the line? 3 people long, and not even going slow at that.

Tadinya gue mau nulis beberapa seri posting soal busway, tapi ternyata udah keduluan cewek ini. Gue sudah diizinkan oleh beliau untuk memposting ulang beberapa tulisannya di sini, jadi tunggu aja ya. Atau klik aja linknya, baca langsung di sumbernya.

Memang niatan gue untuk memulai berbagai topik yang lain juga sih, tapi sejauh ini topik-topik baru selalu bermunculan. Namanya juga Jakarta, ga ada abis-abisnya bikin pusing atau heran. Nah kan ngelantur lagi…

Anyway, sejak pertama dicanangkan, busway, atau Transjakarta tepatnya, udah jadi kontroversi. Banyak lah kontroversi itu, dari malah bikin makin macet, sampe mengganggu angkutan umum yang lain karena ngambil “jatah” penumpang. Tapi buat gue – dulu, keputusan untuk membuat busway itu jenius. Bukan jenius sih, tapi tepat waktu. Rencana semacam busway itu, percaya ga percaya, udah pernah ada sejak jaman Mbak Tutut dengan Citra Lamtorogungnya mengusulkan untuk membuat jalan khusus bis sepanjang Sudirman-Thamrin. Bedanya sedikit tapi bermakna – yang mau dibikin Mbak Tutut, buswaynya pada jalan layang. Jadi mikir kan, jaman dulu udah ada rencana-rencana apa lagi yang batal, padahal tepat guna…

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Whether on the road, in line at the checkout counter, or queuing up for a Transjakarta ticket, or even waiting for the bus to arrive after you bought said Transjakarta ticket, a lot of Jakartans have a knack of cutting lines.
Even in heavy traffic the guy behind you (plus five motorcycles) always try to overtake you, even though they can see a mikrolet slowing everybody down. They utilize every light and sound tool at their disposal until they can overtake one car, then start the whole process again… and I won’t even start about the ‘cars with sirens’ (which will be relegated to another post).

Then there’s the mother of three who in the middle of taking care of her two trolleys of groceries and her hyperactive children, she still manages to jump in line in front of you at the checkout counter when you’re considering buying batteries or chocolate (I’ll take the chocolate, thanks). If you start to give her the look she just ignores you because she’s so busy with her affairs. There’s also the chick who only has to buy lipstick or tampons and just gives a short smile while cutting the line in front of you while saying ‘boleh duluan ya’. Yeah whatever! I can wait here until the cashier actually comes to me.

I myself even had an incident when in line for a Transjakarta ticket. The line was only 2 people long but this guy still cut in straight to the ticket counter, all smiles, leaning in just a bit to give money to the cashier. I said ‘Mas, antre dong mas’ and he only smiled apologetically while waving his hand to me. Tempers rised, but I didn’t say anything – yet. I just kept staring at him, dumbfounded by the lack of…. too many to mention, but when he noticed I was still staring at him he said ‘nggak usah pake marah dong’. Eh? You cut in my line, don’t even pretend to be sorry, don’t even know that it’s supposed to be wrong or at least improper, and I’m not supposed to be angry? So I said to him ‘emang kenapa kalau marah???’ while passing him. I was too pissed to actually make a fuss about it, so I ignored him all the way to my bus stop.

And I think everybody has a story of waiting in line to actually get into the bus. Even if some people actually try to make a proper line, there will always be some person who comes in the bus stop and just walks over to the access door. Then another. Then another. And another…. and their friends. So by the time the bus actually stops by, the line is screwed big time, and it’s every man for himself! Feet will be trodden, elbows will fly and the bus conductor will try (and fail) to organize the mob entering his bus. And when every does get in, everybody stays standing near the doors! As if there’s no other place to stand, even if there are empty seats at the end. So the mobbing happens again at the next bus stop…

Then there’s always the motorcycle or car which always tries to push ahead in gridlocked traffic, even though it’s actually people like them who made the gridlock in the first place. And utter chaos ensues, and even more chaos as if the traffic is stuck, the more likely people will honk their horns in frustration (or even absent-minded relfex to honk if the vehicle in front of you is not moving).

Surely a modern society like Jakarta can learn to wait in line properly? Plis dehhhhh…..

Tags: busway, transjakarta, antri, macet, traffic