JAKARTA (The Straits Times/ANN): Civil servants in Indonesia’s capital city must take public transport to work on Wednesdays, or risk losing 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,” Pramono was quoted as saying by Jakarta Globe on May 8.

“We want this to become not just an order, but (also) a new lifestyle for employees. Public transportation is the future of Jakarta.”

The Governor’s Instruction No. 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.

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 media outlet Tempo.

However, exceptions are granted for workers with special conditions, such as pregnant women.

The Jakarta government has 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 to Jakarta City Hall.

High compliance rate despite criticisms

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 reportedly said on April 30.

According to 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 was Pramono himself, 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 emerged online after the policy was announced.

One netizen said that while the policy may be a solution to the issue of 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, 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. - The Straits Times/ANN