Why congestion problem in Jakarta does not have a solution, yet.

According to recent article in Kompas, traffic in Jakarta will be in gridlock by 2011/12 instead of 2014, the previous estimation. This news is definitely not a surprise. The lack of convenient, clean, and reliable mass public transportation was cited as one of the main reasons for the rising traffic problems.Though, even its availability won't solve the problem. Here's why:

Currently, most people that are using public transports are using it not by choice, but because of their limited economic income. If they can afford buying motorcycles, then I'm sure most of them would definitely get one, and similarly, those that own motorcycles will try to purchase cars. For those that has enough income, but can't afford a car and can't bear riding motorcycles, will opt to use taxis. This means that the number of private vehicle users will only increase as the city grows, the income rises, and the price of motorcycles and cars decreases.

Now, does good mass transportation will solve congestion problems? Take for example Singapore, despite its comprehensive and clean mass transit system, congestion still occurs on the main roads, and from what I heard it's getting worse year by year, which implies that the number of private vehicles are increasing. It's only natural that as the one's wealth grows,one wants to afford more luxury (in this case a private car). Considering that, what are the odds that those that can already afford private transport actually convert to using public transport?

Therefore, no matter how good the public transportation system, congestion is unavoidable. Perhaps one way to solve it is by forcing everybody to use public transport within the central city area. However, its feasibility is very unlikely. Such system would require not only proper facilities in place, such as parking areas, comprehensive and reliable transport network, but also a change in people's habit, which is probably the hardest thing to do. A good solution must not only take this human factor into consideration, but treat it as the primary concern. How can we satisfy their need for transport, and remove their want for private means, at least in urban areas? That is the question.