(Angga Puji Rachmanto, Bali)
Traffic jams is an uncontrollable circumstance that affect people’s productivity and Work-Life Balance (WLB). Most of the employees in big cities such as Jakarta, Denpasar, Semarang, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta face traffic jams daily to go to and from work. They spend their valuable time on the road instead of relaxing with friends or family.
According to an interview with Angga Puji Rachmanto, an employee of a state-owned enterprise who lives in Denpasar, Bali, he often gets stuck in traffic jams when he returns from his office to go home and vice versa. He says, “Actually, I can reach my office in 15 minutes. Unfortunately, because of traffic jams, I need 30 minutes to go there.” The time which he spends on the road is really valuable because the longer commuting time reduces his time to work or do other productive activities.
As the most prominent travel destination in Indonesia, Bali is threatened by traffic jam every day. Population boom in this island is relatively high with 673 people per square kilometer compared to national average which is 124 people per square kilometer. Population boom and tourists who stay in Bali create high number of private vehicles on Bali’s main roads because the island does not have proper public transportation like other big cities in Indonesia. Places near Kuta, Tanjung Benoa, Denpasar City, and other travel destinations usually have the most intense traffic jams.Angga says that traffic jam in Bali is not as severe as those in Jakarta and they could be resolved by the regional government. As reposted in Bali Post, the carrying capacity of Bali’s transportation infrastructures is overwhelmed by the high number of private vehicles on the road. Several main roads are over-crowded with numbers of cars and motor cycles. 71.81 percent of vehicle are motorcycles while 19 percent are cars. The highest number of traffic jam in Bali usually happens at 7 AM up to 9 AM when people start their activities outside of their homes.
Angga also explains that people can lose trust and cooperation with their clients because of traffic jams. As an employee, he sometimes is notified of an urgent meeting and he must get to the meeting place within few minutes. Because of traffic jams, he cannot reach the place on time to meet, so the delay impacts his reputation and credibility as an employee although some of his clients are more tolerant of such situation.
The traffic jams in Denpasar also reduce Angga’s productivity and Work-Life Balance because he wastes more time on the road instead of having quality time with friends or family. Traffic jams in Bali also produce more air and noise pollution which impact its citizens and tourists. Air pollution affects people’s health because it causes lung diseases and psychological stress. Noise pollution also affects people because it reduces their concentration especially for tourists who go to Bali for peace treatments such as yoga and meditation. Hence, traffic jams impact people’s lives and negatively impact the conveniences of tourists in Bali.
As a significant travel destination, traffic jams also threaten the progress of tourism in Bali. Quoted in Tempo, the chief of Masyarakat Transportasi Indonesia (MTI), Danang Parikesit says that traffic jam in Bali should be solved as soon as possible because it brings negative effects to tourism in Bali. The government should take initiative to create a mass transportation system in Bali which is also beneficial for tourists to travel around the island.
As a resident of Bali, Angga suggests that the regional government should solve traffic jam in Bali before it becomes more intense. The government should provide more public transportation such as subway and bus way and promote them to citizens and tourists to use public transportation instead of private vehicles. Solving traffic jam in Bali will bring positive impacts to its economic development, tourism, and people’s life.
By: Yulita Muspitasari