The Department of Transportation in the capital is set to apply a new odd-even license plate traffic rule which will come into effect on August 30.
In an attempt to alleviate congestion in Jakarta, Dinas Perhubungan dan Transportasi or the Department of Transportation will exercise a new odd-even license plate system.
The new traffic rationing scheme is said to be part of a transition plan leading up to the application of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP).
The odd-even license plate rule has now entered its test phase, which will continue until August 26. The rule applies only on weekdays during morning and evening rush hours and in the city’s congestion zones – vehicles will still be allowed to operate as per usual in non-congestion areas.
The morning rush hour period is set from 7am-10am, while in the afternoons/evenings, it will run from 4.3pm-7.30pm. To comply with the new regulation, vehicles with license plates that end in odd numbers will be allowed to operate in congestion zones on odd dates, and vehicles with license plates that end in even number will only be allowed to operate in congestion zones on even dates.
Congestion zones include: Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat, Jl. MH Thamrin, Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, and Jl. Gatot Subroto.
The regulation will not apply for the president, vice president, diplomats with ‘RI’ license plates, fire departments, ambulances, and public transportation vehicles with yellow license plates.
In April, Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama dismissed the old 3-in-1 system which he believed extorted young children and babies, getting rid of the need for joki or people who were paid to act as an extra commuter so that drivers with fewer than three passengers could legally go through the congestion zones. Dissatisfied by the system, Governor ‘Ahok’ called to replace it with the odd-even license plate scheme.
License plate dealers are already seeing a huge increase in the demand for new plates for people who own more than one vehicle.
