Jakarta's problems

JAKARTA – Increasingly gridlocked traffic and regular flooding of much of Indonesia’s capital continue to be the main concerns of Jakarta’s citizens as they gear up to vote in the gubernatorial election scheduled for July.

The University of Indonesia’s Center for Political Studies said over the weekend that more than 25% of the 742 residents it surveyed in the city picked traffic as Jakarta’s biggest problem. Almost 22% named floods as a major scourge in the sprawling, mega metropolis. Trash and pollution came in third with about 11% of those surveyed saying it was their top gripe.

“Leadership is what is needed to sort out the myriad problems Jakarta is facing as a metropolitan city,” the Center said in a statement. “The gubernatorial election should be a contest of ideas and programs to solve these problems.”

During the rainy season, parts of Jakarta are regularly flooded. Residents are worried that this year there could be a repeat of devastating floods that hit the city in February 2007. The disaster, which lasted more than three weeks, killed more than 50 people and forced more than 400,000 to leave their homes. Officials put total damage at nearly $695 million.

Competition is heating up ahead of the July 11 election and six candidates running for governor have traded barbs about how the others lack competence to solve Jakarta’s legendary traffic mess.

More than 53% of the respondents surveyed suggested they were unimpressed by the current governor Fauzi Bowo, ranking his performance as “neither good nor bad.” Jakartans are not that optimistic about the future though. Almost 60% said they were unsure whether any of the new candidates would be able to solve the city’s problems.

Separate surveys show that Joko Widodo, the popular mayor of Solo, a city in Central Java province, is a favorite along with incumbent governor Fauzi Bowo, who is a German-trained engineer.

Mr. Joko, better known as Jokowi, has risen to national prominence for a series of populist policies he introduced as Solo mayor, including free health care for poor citizens, and his efforts to promote cultural and environmental conservation

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His assessment of Jakarta’s woes is similar to that of voters.

“Flooding and traffic jams are tough problems and must be solved as soon as possible,” he was quoted as saying by Okezone.com newsportal. “I have taken public minibuses, buses and trains so I think I know the issues and can find the solutions because they are right before our eyes.”

Unlike Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, Jakarta has no efficient mass transit system. The city’s Transjakarta bus rapid transit system has been criticized for overcrowding and for having an inadequate fleet, causing people to wait too long for a bus ride to get home.

One of two independent candidates in the running is well-known economist Faisal Basri, who said he was seeking an end to what he described as “oligarchy” in city government.

The economist, whose campaign slogan is “Let’s take care of Jakarta,” has promised to improve the transport system by expanding the city’s railway networks and revamping public bus services.