ERP In Jakarta Is Eligible, But Is Blocked By Politics And Social

JAKARTA - The paid road system or electronic road pricing (ERP) in Jakarta is still an uncertain discourse. This discourse was re-emphasized by former DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung. However, Pramono admitted that he did not know when it would be implemented.

Transportation observer Muhammad Akbar assesses that Jakarta is actually ready to run the ERP system, if you look at the current condition of transportation infrastructure or mass public transportation.

"Many have doubts, is Jakarta really ready to implement ERP? In fact, from various aspects, the capital city is actually too ready for this system," Akbar said in his statement, Sunday, June 15.

Akbar said that the legal basis for implementing ERP was contained in Law Number 22 of 2009 concerning Road Traffic and Transportation (LLAJ). In fact, the DKI Provincial Government has had time to draft derivative regulations in the form of regional regulations (perda) even though it has not been completed.

"Regulationally, there is no longer any reason to postpone (ERP)," said Akbar.

Jakarta, Akbar continued, already has a growing transportation network, ranging from MRT, LRT, TransJakarta, to JakLingko. All of these modes are integrated, both physically through displacement node points, as well as tariffs through a more practical and integrated payment system.

Then, Jakarta's readiness to impose restrictions on technology-based vehicles is also arguably capable. Jakarta residents are also used to non-cash payments, both for public transportation and other daily transactions.

"Supervisory cameras and sensor-based devices have also begun to be used to monitor traffic in real time. This technology can be easily adapted to support the ERP system, from vehicle detection to automatic recording of transactions," said Akbar.

"If all these prerequisites have been met, then the biggest obstacle in implementing ERP is no longer a technical matter. The main challenge now is political and social factors, namely the courage of policy makers to act, as well as the readiness of the community to accept change," he continued.

On the one hand, Akbar assessed that the policy of restricting private vehicles that had been implemented in Jakarta had ineffective results. Starting from the 3-in-1 system, which instead gave birth to the practice of jockeys filling empty seats, to odd-even, which even though it was effective at the beginning, it turned out that people could be tricked by buying a second car, borrowing a number plate, or even falsifying plates.

"The problem is, these two policies also have quite basic weaknesses. The system is rigid, not flexible about emergency situations, is not adaptive to the variation of travel time and routes, and does not generate income that can be used to fix the transportation system as a whole," he added.

DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung projects that in the future Jakarta will implement an electronic road pricing (ERP) system. Thus, private vehicle users are allowed to cross certain roads in Jakarta as long as they are willing to pay.

"One day, not now, I want to install the ERP. Why is the ERP installed? Yes, if you have money, you want to take a car, take everything to Jakarta is okay, pay all ERPs," said Pramono at DKI Jakarta City Hall, Tuesday, May 27.

According to Pramono, regional income generated from paid road deposits can help the DKI Provincial Government finance public transportation subsidies such as Transjakarta, Jakarta LRT, and Jakarta MRT for free for 15 groups.

The 15 beneficiary groups consist of civil servants of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, retired civil servants, contract workers of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, KJP Plus recipient students, residents of the flats, the PKK Mobilization Team, and employees who pay equivalent to the UMP.

Then, residents with the Thousand Islands ID cards, recipients of the Jabodetabek domicile race, members of the TNI/Polri, veterans of the Republic of Indonesia, people with disabilities, the elderly over 60 years old, administrators of houses of worship, PAUD educators, and jumantik groups, administrators of youth organizations, dasawisma, and posyandu.

"For residents who are not able to fully become the responsibility of the state, and I will fully use the results of the ERP to provide subsidies to 15 groups, including residents outside Jakarta," explained Pramono.

On different occasions, Pramono revealed the reasons that have caused the paid road system to not be implemented until now. In fact, according to him, the discourse on the implementation of ERP has been sticking out since the leadership of several previous DKI Jakarta Governors. According to him, ERP cannot be implemented because the supporting system for the implementation of paid roads is not ready.

"The spirit for this ERP has existed since the time of Bang Foke, Pak Jokowi, Pak Ahok, Pak Djarot, Mas Anies, Acting, and so on. But why hasn't it been implemented so far? Indeed, the support system has not been completed," explained Pramono.