Motorcycles

The growth in motorcycles on Indonesia's roads has been relentless. They now number roughly 137 million machines — about 84 per cent of the national fleet — with over six million new ones sold each year. The old excuse of dreadful public transport no longer holds in Jakarta, which now has an MRT, an LRT and TransJakarta. The motorcycle wins on cost, easy credit and its talent for slipping through gridlock.

Because this site is called Living In Indonesia, rather than Dying In Indonesia, let me be blunt: riding a motorcycle here is the most dangerous thing most foreign residents will ever do. Motorcyclists are the largest single contributor to Indonesia's road deaths, which run to something like 30,000 a year. The "Hell's Cherubs" — teenagers on their first motorised transport, blessed with the road sense of a startled chicken — are only part of the hazard.

Should you ignore this counsel, get your paperwork straight. Only the police may issue an Indonesian licence, and a motorcycle needs a SIM C. KITAS and KITAP holders can apply for one; short-stay visitors may ride only on a home licence plus an International Driving Permit that covers motorbikes. Riding without either is an offence the police enforce keenly in tourist areas. Okusi Associates can arrange a local licence for KITAS and KITAP holders.

The saner option is not to ride at all. The app-based ojek services, Gojek and Grab, will put a stranger's neck on the line for a pittance, and bring your lunch besides.

If you do succumb to the open road, invest in a proper full-face helmet. An SNI-certified one is a legal requirement for rider and passenger alike, on pain of a fine. Do not trust a kerbside helmet: it would probably crack if you dropped it on a shag carpet.

Contributor: Jakartass

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