Driving in (Jakarta) Indonesia - Part 2

(see also my related article - "Part 1")

Transportation in Jakarta

Not worth risking your life on ! 

Even if you have your own passenger car or driver and you are the safest, most defensive driver out there; you are still at great risk and constant danger because of all the other IDIOTS, ojeks, angkots, bajaj and overall lack of any safety (or exhaust emissions) inspections of passenger or commercial vehicles on the roads in Indonesia.   

It’s also a common occurrence to find motorbikes (who seem to rule and own the roadways) driving in the opposite direction towards you on the wrong side of the road. You’re expected to move out their way and yield the right of way to them nevertheless though !!  Entering a roadway is another matter; the person entering the roadway seems to have the right of way as they just pull out and into the road directly in your line of travel without looking or caring.  So actually, you should be yielding the right of way to them and expect that no one will follow or obey rules of the road or traffic laws here.  

People also have no concept of "blind spots" here by use of rear or side view mirrors.  Their peripheral vision extends to basically just a small arch directly in front of them. So, if you're along side or about to pass or overtake another car or motorbike, it is common for them to just cut in your direct path or go anywhere they want to.  The motorbikes actually do it intentionally knowing that a driver's natural reaction or reflex will be to tap or hit the brake giving them just the inch or millimeter they need to cut you in or off. If they don't see you, you're not there and they don't care.  Actually, even if they do see you they still don't care and will do whatever they want.  

If you get into an accident with a motorbike and you're driving a passenger car, regardless of how STUPID the person is who caused the accident, you the driver are at fault !  You are seen as the privileged haves, and they are the have-nots.  If the motorbike rider or passenger(s) are killed, you'll just have to pay money to the family(ies) so they can go out and buy their remaining or future offspring more motorbikes.  It's also common to see children riding motorbikes here, of course with their little friends or buddies on back.  I am convinced infants and children actually grow up on motorbikes or "ojeks" here.  It's simply just a way of life here.

The situation here as I describe from first hand experience has also been corroborated by others.  If you don't believe me, or think I am exaggerating, read this.  

Snippets of recent news:

Last week Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan admitted that many of the ministry’s inspectors had not performed well and had contributed to a string of accidents involving public transportation vehicles. House transportation commission deputy chief Nusyirwan Soejono said that the lack of monitoring by the ministry was the main reason why bus companies do not carry out frequent vehicle maintenance. Sunday’s Slipi Jaya accident certainly was preventable had the Mayasari bus driver – as so many public transport drivers do – not only entered a designated TransJakarta lane but drove in a dangerous manner whilst on it. Just when, may we ask, will Jakarta’s authorities fulfill their many promises to keep private vehicles out of Busway lanes? What are the licensing criteria for public bus drivers and who monitors it? How about the much-publicized campaigns to eradicate unlicensed Minivans and ensure drivers were uniformed and clearly indicate identity for passengers? It only needs a cursory glance at passing Angkot and Mikrolet to see that probably 90% of drivers are not wearing any uniform, but one can only guess at the vehicle’s license status. Come-on authorities – wake-up and do your job before more are killed!

There seems to be no end in sight to the spate of deadly bus crashes which hit Java over the past weeks with News on Monday of a Mayasari Bhakti bus causing multiple crashes early that morning near the Kampung Rambutan bus terminal, claiming one life and severely injuring another. “The bus suddenly hit a taxi and then bumped into another taxi. The bus didn’t stop, but went on to hit a motorbike, a street vendor’s cart and a public minivan. The minivan subsequently hit another motorbike,” Adj. Sr. Comr. Sudharsono said as quoted by tempo.co. Just a day before, a Mayasari bus plying the Kampung Rambutan-Kalideres route hit a Transjakarta bus at the Slipi Jaya, West Jakarta, bus stop. The Mayasari, which entered the busway lane, rammed the bus from behind.