No public transport, no promotion: Jakarta civil servants forced to ditch their wheels to work
Civil servants are expected to share their proof of compliance in the form of selfies. PHOTO: REUTERS
No public transport, no promotion: Jakarta civil servants forced to ditch their wheels to work
JAKARTA - Civil servants in Indonesia's capital city must take the public transport to work on Wednesdays , or risk a promotion.
The order that kicked in on April 30 is part of a policy introduced by Jakarta governor Pramono Anung aimed at reducing traffic congestion and air pollution - two major issues plaguing the city.
'For anyone who violates this policy while I'm in charge for at least the next five years, don't expect a promotion,' Mr Pramono was quoted as saying by Jakarta Globe on May 8.
'We want this to become not just an order but a new lifestyle for employees. Public transportation is the future of Jakarta.'
The Governor's Instruction Number 6 of 2025 on the Use of Mass Public Transportation for Employees within the Jakarta Provincial Government was signed on April 23 .
Civil servants are expected to share their proof of compliance in the form of selfies.
Mr Pramono warned that those who arrive at their office in a private vehicle will not be allowed to park . They will be removed from the office premises, and will be considered absent from work, reported Tempo .
However, exceptions are granted for workers with special conditions, such as pregnant women.
The Jakarta government h as also disallowed the use of regional government-owned vehicles for civil servants on Wednesdays.
When the policy came into effect on April 30 , road barriers and traffic cones were reportedly used to restrict access of private vehicles into the J akarta City Hal l.
High compliance rate despite criticisms
Mr Pramono said he noted a positive response from civil servants, with some sharing their commuting experiences online and tagging him in their posts.
'On average, they welcomed it with high enthusiasm,' he r eportedly said on April 30.
According to Mr Pramono , the policy applies to 65,000 workers - comprising 45,000 regular civil servants and 20,000 contract workers - 96 per cent of whom complied on the first day.
The number of public transport users jumped that day, with city-owned rapid transit bus service TransJakarta reportedly seeing 1.4 million passengers on April 30, up from the usual 1.2 million travellers.
Among the travellers were Mr Pramono, who took a bus from his official residence in Taman Suropati to Jakarta City Hall. Local media had earlier reported him as saying he does not commute to work using public transportation as he lives nearby.
Despite the high compliance rate, criticism had emerged online after the policy was announced.
One netizen said that while the policy may be a solution to the traffic congestion in the city, it does not take into consideration the commute for civil servants who live on the outskirts of Jakarta.
'For those whose house is far (from the office), it'll be difficult because they need (to take several types of) transportation since there is no public transportation from their homes,' said another.
Others suggested the government implement a carpooling or transport service purely for civil servants to take them to the office.
According to Tempo , Mr Pramono said in a written statement on April 24 that public transportation connectivity within the metropolitan area has reached 91 per cent, and that civil servants will soon be able to use public transportation services for free.
In 2024 , the Global Traffic Scorecard ranked Jakarta the seventh most congested city in the world. Jakarta also snagged the title of the most polluted city in the world in 2023, according to Swiss air quality technology company IQAir.
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
14 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Trump's travel ban on 12 countries goes into effect early Monday
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to New Jersey, U.S., June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump's order banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States goes into effect at 12:01 am ET (0401 GMT) on Monday, a move the president promulgated to protect the country from "foreign terrorists." The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The entry of people from seven other countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela - will be partially restricted. Trump, a Republican, said the countries subject to the most severe restrictions were determined to harbor a "large-scale presence of terrorists," fail to cooperate on visa security, have an inability to verify travelers' identities, as well as inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the United States. He cited last Sunday's incident in Boulder, Colorado, in which an Egyptian national tossed a gasoline bomb into a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators as an example of why the new curbs are needed. But Egypt is not part of the travel ban. The travel ban forms part of Trump's policy to restrict immigration into the United States and is reminiscent of a similar move in his first term when he barred travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations. Officials and residents in countries whose citizens will soon be banned expressed dismay and disbelief. Chad President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno said he had instructed his government to stop granting visas to U.S. citizens in response to Trump's action. "Chad has neither planes to offer nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and its pride," he said in a Facebook post, referring to countries such as Qatar, which gifted the U.S. a luxury airplane for Trump's use and promised to invest billions of dollars in the U.S. Afghans who worked for the U.S. or U.S.-funded projects and were hoping to resettle in the U.S. expressed fear that the travel ban would force them to return to their country, where they could face reprisal from the Taliban. Democratic U.S. lawmakers also voiced concern about the policies. "Trump's travel ban on citizens from over 12 countries is draconian and unconstitutional," said U.S. Representative Ro Khanna on social media late on Thursday. "People have a right to seek asylum." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
28 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Leo, the first US pope, criticises nationalist politics at Sunday Mass
Pope Leo XIV leads the mass for the Jubilee of the Ecclesial Movements, Associations and New Communities, in St. Peter square at the Vatican, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Remo Casilli Pope Leo XIV leads the mass for the Jubilee of the Ecclesial Movements, Associations and New Communities, in St. Peter square at the Vatican, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Remo Casilli Pope Leo XIV leads the mass for the Jubilee of the Ecclesial Movements, Associations and New Communities, in St. Peter square at the Vatican, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Remo Casilli Leo, the first US pope, criticises nationalist politics at Sunday Mass VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo criticized the emergence of nationalist political movements on Sunday, calling them unfortunate, without naming a specific country or national leader. Leo, the first pope from the U.S., asked during a Mass with a crowd of tens of thousands in St. Peter's Square that God would "open borders, break down walls (and) dispel hatred." "There is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbours, for the exclusionary mindset that, unfortunately, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms," said the pontiff. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected on May 8 to succeed the late Pope Francis as leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church. Before becoming pontiff, Prevost was not shy about criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump, sharing numerous disapproving posts about Trump and Vice President JD Vance on X in recent years. The Vatican has not confirmed the new pope's ownership of the X account, which had the handle @drprevost, and was deactivated after Leo's election. Francis, pope for 12 years, was a sharp critic of Trump. The late pope said in January that the president's plan to deport millions of migrants in the U.S. during his second term was a "disgrace." Earlier, Francis said Trump was "not Christian" because of his views on immigration. "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," Francis said when asked about Trump in 2016. Leo was celebrating a Mass for Pentecost, one of the Church's most important holidays. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Iran authorities expand dog walking ban to multiple cities
The ban echoes a 2019 police directive that barred walking dogs in Tehran. PHOTO: REUTERS TEHRAN - Iranian authorities have expanded a ban on walking dogs in public to multiple cities nationwide, citing public health, social order and safety concerns, domestic media reported on June 8 . The ban – which echoes a 2019 police directive that barred walking dogs in Tehran – was expanded to Ilam city in the west on J une 8 , according to reports. At least 17 other cities introduced similar bans in recent days, including Isfahan in the centre and Kerman in the south. Owning and walking dogs has been a contentious topic since the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, though there is no law outrightly banning dog ownership. Many religious scholars however consider petting dogs or coming into contact with their saliva as 'najis' or ritually impure, while some officials view them as a symbol of Western cultural influence. Local authorities have periodically introduced bans on walking dogs in public spaces or carrying them in vehicles as part of a wider campaign to discourage their ownership. Enforcing the restrictions has been largely inconsistent, as many owners continue to walk their dogs in Tehran and elsewhere across Iran. On June 8 , the reformist Etemad newspaper quoted an official from Ilam city as saying that 'legal action will be taken against violators', without elaborating. On June 7 , the state newspaper Iran said the latest measures are aimed at 'maintaining public order, ensuring safety and protecting public health'. 'Dog walking is a threat to public health, peace and comfort,' said Mr Abbas Najafi, prosecutor of the western city of Hamedan, as quoted by Iran newspaper. In 2021, some 75 lawmakers condemned pet ownership as a 'destructive social problem', saying it could 'gradually change the Iranian and Islamic way of life'. In 2017, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that 'keeping dogs for reasons other than herding, hunting and guard dogs is considered reprehensible'. 'If this practise resembles that of non-Muslims, promotes their culture or causes harm and disturbance to neighbours, it is deemed forbidden,' he added, according to Tasnim news agency. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
