Policy Network in Greater Bandung Metropolitan Management to Deal with Congestion

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of public policies in handling congestion in Metropolitan Bandung Raya. This study used an exploratory, descriptive method to analyze the phenomena, causes, and public policies for handling congestion in the Greater Bandung Metropolitan area. The study was conducted in 60 sub-districts, two cities, and three districts in the Greater Bandung Metropolitan Area: Bandung City, Cimahi City, Bandung Regency, West Bandung Regency, and Sumedang Regency. As a result, there were 168 congestion points, 149 causes of congestion, and 86 policy implementations in total. These results indicate that congestion handling in metropolitan Bandung Raya is effective. Furthermore, as many as four of the seven dimensions analyzed show: (1) the dimensions of the number and type of actors; (2) the dimension of function, namely dealing with congestion following the main tasks and functions; (3) the dimensions of the structure, namely dealing with traffic jams according to their authority; and (4) the institutionalization dimension, namely overcoming the institutional bottleneck between the actors involved, is considered effective.

In comparison, the other three dimensions show a reasonably practical assessment: (1) the rule-of-conduct dimension, namely, the proper handling of traffic jams through leadership decisions and non-formal actions according to the conditions that occur; (2) the dimension of power relations in handling traffic congestion according to the agreed system operational procedure; and (3) the dimension of the actors’ strategy, namely, dealing with congestion through strategic actions that concern individual actors. The fewer bottlenecks and congestion management policies created, the more effective is the implementation. It can be seen from the results of the analysis where Sumedang Regency and West Bandung Regency have traffic management policies that are more effective than other regions.