Understanding Jakarta’s Traffic Inefficiency: Government Incentives and Their Impact

For years, Jakarta has struggled with severe traffic congestion, leading to significant economic and environmental challenges. However, one must question: What is Jakarta city government's true incentive for reducing traffic jams? This article explores the intricacies of Jakarta's layered and interconnected government system and its priorities.

Why Traffic Jams Benefit the City Government

The traffic situation in Jakarta is a complex issue, with positive and negative impacts on different stakeholders. While the city government grapples with this problem, there are underlying reasons why exacerbating traffic congestion can be beneficial to the government and certain businesses.

Increased Revenues
The inefficiency of traffic in Jakarta generates substantial financial benefits for the city:
1. Tax Revenue: Citizens who opt for more comfortable or convenient transportation methods, such as private cars or motorcycles, generate more tax revenue for the city. The government benefits from taxes on second cars, motorcycle purchase taxes, and fuel sales.
2. Additional Services: Businesses that rely on traffic congestion, such as malls, parking lots, restaurants, and advertising companies, see increased revenue. These businesses benefit from higher occupancy rates and better placements during traffic standstills.
3. Repair and Maintenance: The government collects additional taxes from citizens in the form of higher repair and healthcare costs, which are linked to traffic accidents and health issues caused by long commutes.

Jobs and Employment
Traffic congestion also creates employment opportunities in several sectors, such as:
1. Personal Services: Employment in personal drivers, toll operators, and parking attendants.
2. Supporting Roles: The rise in demand for services and goods related to traffic jams, which often leads to the growth of grassroots organizations and informal economies, such as “Pak Ogah” (Street vendors).

Long-term Solutions and Political Realities

Addressing Jakarta's traffic congestion requires substantial political will and reforms. The current government priorities lean more towards populist measures, which may not lead to significant improvements in traffic conditions. Here are some key observations:

Prioritizing Populism
Indonesian politicians often choose to implement policies that appear popular and populist, such as providing financial assistance to religious or ethnic organizations. These measures may boost their popularity in the short term but do little to address the underlying issue of traffic congestion.

Lip Service and Symbolic Programs
Elected representatives tend to engage in symbolic programs without making real changes. Examples include environmental cleanup initiatives, building religious houses, or launching environmental campaigns. These programs may garner media attention and public approval during election periods, but they fail to solve the larger problem.

The Absence of Real Incentives
There are limited incentives for the government to take meaningful action against traffic congestion. The city faces political and economic challenges that make it difficult for officials to prioritize substantial reforms. Even if some leaders do care about improving traffic conditions, their actions are often constrained by the political landscape and their own self-interest.

The Role of Corruption and "Verses and Corpses"
Political opponents often rely on allegations of corruption or "verses and corpses" to challenge incumbents, making it challenging for leaders to enact necessary changes. The political environment in Jakarta is complex, with officials sometimes holding office due to a mix of "verses and corpses." This dynamic further hinders the implementation of long-term solutions.

Conclusion: The Path Forward

To reduce traffic congestion in Jakarta, a more strategic and less politically charged approach is needed. Initiatives must focus on incentivizing all stakeholders, including the government, businesses, and citizens, to work towards a common goal. The city requires a greater number of statesmen and women and fewer politicians and corrupt individuals. Only then can meaningful progress be made in improving traffic conditions.