Editor’s Note:
This article reflects the personal experience of the author while learning to drive in Jakarta. Driving conditions, licensing procedures, and individual experiences may vary widely depending on location, timing, and personal circumstances. The intention of this story is not to generalize, but to give readers insight into what some expats have encountered when adjusting to driving in Indonesia.
Today I tried my hand at driving a right-sided steering car. My husband has had his Indonesian driver’s license for a couple of months now. He’s been driving on Sundays since it’s a bit quieter on Jakarta’s roads, and he’s been doing fairly well.
We thought that other drivers would agree it would be best for me to learn the different steering wheel orientation off the main roads, so we headed to a “practice driving area.”
Our well-ingrained American driving habits showed up during a funny incident on the way there. We came to an intersection and my husband made a right turn into the inside lane. Passing a truck in the intersection on the right side, I said, “I guess we’re driving the Indonesian way.”
My husband replied, “I don’t know why that truck was going the wrong way.”
I asked, “Is this a one-way street?”
“No,” he answered.
As a car approached us head-on, I said, “Aren’t we supposed to be on the other side of the street?”
He paused for a moment and then said, “Oh yeah!” quickly maneuvering into the left lane.
“What am I doing?” he sighed. It’s obviously harder to undo habits than we thought—especially when it comes to driving on the other side of the road.
The practice driving area is actually a huge parking lot in Senayan, where Rp 5,000 allows access to practice lanes. Practice seems like a bit of a farce, since after observing traffic on Jakarta’s major streets, you’d think many drivers had never practiced at all!
Jakarta drivers are famous for their ability to zigzag down the street, joyfully swerving around other vehicles and often ignoring lane markings. Considering how unpredictable some “experienced” drivers can be, the Senayan parking lot turned out to be quite a danger zone! We had expected it to be empty on a Sunday—but we were wrong.
The parking lot is filled with rubber tires lined up to create lanes. These lanes form two oval loops, one inside the other. Many of the tires are out of place and clearly show signs of repeated collisions.
Other sections are designated for practicing parallel parking and reversing into spaces. Most of the cars are older or already a bit battered. We quickly realized that wise drivers would not bring their BMW here to practice!
At any given time, there are about 40 cars navigating the course, some displaying large “student driver” signs—though the literal Indonesian translation reads “learning.”
Most of the cars are manual (stick shift), and you can see many student drivers stalling, restarting, and trying again. There’s a lot of weaving as they attempt to maintain a straight line—or at least come close to one.
As an experienced driver, I didn’t have trouble with the clutch, but everything else in the car felt reversed. I kept reaching for the gear shift with my right hand, only to knock against the door. It’s amazing how automatic driving becomes—and how disorienting it is when everything is suddenly in a different place.
Soon, however, I became more concerned about the other drivers. We cautiously entered the tire-marked lanes and quickly got caught in a traffic jam. This seemed odd, as you wouldn’t expect congestion in a practice area without traffic lights or intersections.
Looking ahead, I saw a couple of policemen directing traffic out of the lanes. As we approached, we realized that two cars had just been involved in an accident.
At that point, we decided—after a brief discussion—that we had learned enough for one day. It was time to leave.
© Lisa Kumaradjaja
