Jakarta Seeks to Ease Gridlock with use of Road Pricing

Jakarta (Antara) - Traffic jams along certain roads in Jakarta are expected to be reduced with the introduction of the electronic road pricing (ERP) system, which is meant to reduce private cars on roads, according to an official. "The implementation of the ERP system is one of the ways to cut fuel consumption and encourage private car users to travel on mass transportation," Director General of Land Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation Suroyo Alimoeso said in a written statement here Saturday. Alimoeso explained that the central government would soon begin using the ERP system in a pilot project in Jakarta and Surabaya, East Java. The 12th Meeting of the National Energy Council has recommended speeding up the implementation of the ERP system. "The central government will coordinate with the local governments of Jakarta and Surabaya to decide on which roads the system will be applied," he said. "Protocol roads which are often used and caused gridlock will likely become the sections where the system will be applied, " he noted. The ERP system is an automatic toll system where toll gates are no longer needed, but a device is installed in vehicles that allows them to be detected when they are driving on certain roads. The first country to use the ERP system was Singapore, which has used the system since 1988. A number of countries have also adopted the system, including Canada, Britain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates. (*)