A Jakarta official said on Wednesday that the tariff for the planned citywide electronic road pricing system was still yet to be finalized, as was the necessary regulations for its implementation.
Udar Pristono, head of the Jakarta Transportation Office, said it was considering an ERP rate of between Rp 6,500 and Rp 21,000 (75 cents and $2.50).
“However, we have not made the final decision yet because we need to consider the ERP rate based on the toll roads fee, the cost of hiring jockeys to get around the three-in-one carpool rule and also motorists’ ability to pay it,” he said.
The Jakarta administration should also consider the 2009 Regional Tax Law when deciding the ERP rate, he added.
The transportation office hopes to be able to complete all of the necessary regulations on the ERP later this year so it can be ready for implementation in 2012.
One possibility floated by the city has been to start with a higher rate of Rp 21,000 per vehicle and then revise the price after implementation following the response from the public.
“If the ERP rate is too expensive, then we will reduce it,” Udar said. “But if us too low, then we will increase it.”
Udar said that aside from the new ERP system, the government would also improve public transportation by adding more busway routes and launching a feeder system.
“There will be two feeder busways from the SCBD and Senayan areas that will take passengers to the Gelora Bung Karno busway stop, and also from Tanah Abang and Gambir to the Medan Merdeka Barat stop,” he said.
The city is also planning to buy 23 more buses and create five more busway corridors.
Asked to comment on the ERP system, Sudaryatmo, from the Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI), said it would help to reduce the use of private vehicles, but consumers still needed to be consulted before a price was set.
“The ERP rate needs to be decided based on the results of a survey on people’s willingness and ability to pay the tariff,” he said. “I don’t agree with a rate of Rp 100,000, because that would just be plain robbery.”
The Jakarta Police had earlier called for a fee high enough to discourage private car use — at between Rp 50,000 and Rp 100,000.
Sudaryatmo said the revenue from the ERP system should be used to improve the city’s pubic transportation facilities.
“Although the implementation of ERP is necessary to reduce the use of private cars, the government needs to also improve the availability of public transportation so that people have alternatives,” he said.
Outside of Jakarta, the government has also decided to implement ERP systems in Medan, Surabaya, Bandung and Makassar.
Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi said the central and regional governments were working on regulations and bylaws to support a law passed last month on traffic management that governs the implementation of the ERP system.
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