The two first words you learn in Indonesian are macet (ma-chet) and banjir (ban-jeer) – meaning traffic and flooding. These two words also represent the biggest challenge to living in Jakarta. It is the largest metropolis without a metro system and is adding more and more cars on the city’s overused roads every year.There are 1.55 million cars in Jakarta and the roads can only realistically handle 1 million. I live only a few miles from work and it can take me up to an hour to commute at times depending on the weather. When it rains, the streets flood and the scooters take shelter under bridges and very quickly block several lanes creating monster bottlenecks all over the city.
The only means of public transportation is by bus, of which there are a few options. There are the very old and small minibuses which cost a dime to hop on and off. The largest express buses have dedicated lanes during rush hours and have subway-like stops with multiple openings. You pass through a turnstile before getting on the bus platform.
There are taxis of course, which start out at 5,000 Rupiah (50 cents) and slowly click up at 3 cent intervals. A 15 minute ride usually costs a dollar. The preferred cab company is Blue Bird, which has a reputation of honesty, cleanliness, and sense of direction. Blue Bird taxis charge a premium and their fare starts at a whopping 6,000 Rupiah (60 cents).
The biggest challenge of using taxis is that many drivers don’t know where to go and they expect the passenger to give them directions. My almost non-existent Indonesian very quickly included the words ‘left, right, and go straight.’ If both driver and passenger don’t know the way, the driver is quick to pop out on the street to ask for directions. The large majority of drivers are honest and you shouldn't take offense if they get a bit lost.
If you are ever in doubt, the best bet is to take a Silver Bird taxi, which is a black, corporate-style taxi with leather seats. The drivers speak some English and know where to go – the premium for these guys is 16,000 Rupiah ($1.60) and the meters click up a bit faster. It costs about double than a regular Blue Bird.
The best way to avoid macet is to get around by ojek (scooter taxi). You negotiate a price beforehand, which is usually slightly less than a regular cab.But when there is proper macet, it is well worth hopping on the back of these ojek. The only downside is that you have to know exactly where you’re going. While on the back, you yell directions through your helmet. One good thing about Jakarta is that helmets became mandatory in 1992 and has probably saved tens of thousands of lives, so even your driver provides you with a helmet (although not always the cleanest).
To solve this problem, Jakarta passed the '3 in 1 Law,' which requires every non-taxi car to have at least 3 people between the hours of 7:00 - 10:00 and 16:30 - 19:00. Police wait in certain spots along heavily trafficked areas and give out tickets. Many cars now have darkly tinted windows to avoid detection. Another way cars avoid detection is to simply pick up random people who drive with you for a small fee (less than a dollar). At the entrance of many highways, you will see some 30 people holding out either 1 or 2 fingers. The ones holding out 2 fingers are holding their infant kids. Once you arrive back home or to the office, the 3 in 1 workers just find another spot to hitch or take public transport back to their respective neighborhoods.
The solution to this madness is easy - build a metro. But every politician fails to deliver, often bickering on planning in order to gain political points in their own districts. And everyone knows that before a shovel hits the ground, millions of dollars will be lost on corruption. To add, politicians are afraid of failing. The city is littered with half-completed pillars along busy highways that were once for some sort of monorail. The traffic and the broken concrete are constant reminders that nothing is easily accomplished in Jakarta despite the incredible high demand.
