JAKARTA (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Drivers in the Indonesian capital Jakarta spend a longer time in traffic compared to citizens of other major Asian cities, a study revealed.
Ride-hailing app firm Uber, in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group, released a study on Wednesday (Nov 1) revealing that drivers in Jakarta spend an average of 22 days a year in traffic.
The number is higher than many other major cities in Asia, in which drivers spend around 19 days stuck in traffic, Uber Indonesia's head of public policy and government affairs John Colombo said.
"In a day, drivers in Jakarta spend an average of 68 minutes in traffic and 21 minutes looking for parking," Colombo said in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com.
Regarding the difficulty of finding a parking space, the study found 74 per cent of Jakartans missed important events, such as wedding parties, appointments with doctors, job interviews and funerals.
Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno, who attended the release of the study's results, was appalled at the findings. "Imagine, 22 days are the same as two years of annual leave," he said.
He said he expected ride-sharing apps would help decrease traffic congestion in the city.
The survey was conducted in major Asian cities from July to August involving 9,000 participants from 18 to 65 years old.
Besides Jakarta, the study also took place in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Manila in the Philippines, Bangkok in Thailand, Hong Kong, Taipei in Taiwan, and Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
