Piloting LEZs

Cleaner air has long been a shared goal for Jakartans, and it has become increasingly urgent with visible smog and pollution regularly shrouding the city. The implementation of LEZs provides a solution for improving air quality by reducing transport-related emissions and limiting the use of polluting vehicles in high-traffic areas. In general, LEZs are adjoining areas that employ both priced (fines or fees) and non-priced (time restrictions) strategies to reduce vehicle use.

In 2021, the Government of Jakarta initiated a pilot LEZ project within the busy and popular Old Town district of the city, where only pedestrians, cyclists, public buses, and designated vehicles are allowed access. Initial results from air quality monitoring and public perception surveys indicate positive improvements in Old Town’s accessibility and street conditions.

To determine other locations for LEZ pilots, ITDP Indonesia developed six key indicators for the city, focusing on emissions hotspots, transit access, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, mobility policies, land use, and residential density. ITDP Indonesia also recommended deploying Inner-City zones, which regulate the use of all high-emission vehicles, and Citywide zones, which focus on regulating large and heavy freight vehicles.

Together, these zones are designed to help Jakarta employ a dual approach for reducing congestion and pollution, with area-specific considerations. LEZ implementation across Jakarta, if carried out according to current plans, could reduce emissions by more than 12%, offering a valuable approach to the city’s sustainability targets.

Tackling Congestion

With Jakarta’s traffic jams costing the city significantly in economic and health losses, local policymakers face a difficult decision. Strategies like ERP and parking reforms are not often publicly popular, but the long-term benefits in terms of climate and cost savings are undeniable. ERP, sometimes known as congestion pricing, would impose fees on vehicles in specific traffic corridors or areas with high density and congestion. Initially proposed as a corridor-based approach for the city, ITDP Indonesia recommended adding area-based and distance-based ERP scenarios to mitigate vehicle rerouting further.

ERP’s success depends on both reducing congestion and furthering public transit ridership, with considerations for the fairness, affordability, and equity of various types of drivers. While Jakarta’s regulations are still in progress since their legal approval in 2021, ERP offers another essential tool for taming traffic, particularly if revenues are directed towards other transit and infrastructure improvements.

Better parking management and related reforms also offer an essential avenue for change. A zone-based system in the city can re-categorize parking areas according to varying levels of restrictions and fees. A red zone, for instance, might have the strictest parking limitations and the highest fines, while restrictions vary across others depending on demand. Such reforms target inefficient parking regulations and behaviors, a challenge that is present across Jakarta.

To expand on this approach, ITDP Indonesia proposed implementing progressive on-street parking fees in the city while reducing available parking over time. Similar to ERP, enhancing digital fee collection and earmarking revenues for public transit could encourage people to choose more sustainable modes of transportation. In some areas, a more effective parking strategy could also support more efficient land use. For instance, ITDP Indonesia found that near one central transit station, the equivalent of 3,680 housing units could be built on land reclaimed from underused parking spaces.

A Time for Action

Traffic management policies and vehicle restrictions can be seen as a burden by the public in the short term. Still, they offer much longer-term economic, social, and climate benefits if promoted and implemented effectively. Jakarta, in its exploration of solutions such as LEZs, ERP, and parking reforms, has the potential to become a model for shifting Indonesians’ relationships with private vehicles and public transportation as a whole.

However, achieving this requires sustained political and resource commitments from city leaders, as well as a clear vision for expanding walking, cycling, and public transit access. In Jakarta, progress would mean that these strategies are enshrined in provincial regulations, with the buy-in of multiple transport and infrastructure agencies. Research has shown that the full benefits of plans like LEZs and ERP, as well as public perceptions towards them, are only truly measurable after at least five years of implementation.

The advancement of similar efforts over the last decade in major cities such as London, UK, and Stockholm, Sweden, has demonstrated that comprehensive planning, community engagement, and government investment are key to success. While the full emissions and economic impacts may take time to assess, a meaningful push to deploy these traffic management strategies is critical to a future Jakarta that is more sustainable, equitable, and livable.