
Traffic in Jakarta drives on the left. Nearly half of the road network is paved. There are good road communications within Java and, to a lesser extent, on Bali and Sumatra. The other islands have poor road systems. Speed limits are usually 30-40kph (19-25mph) on inner city streets, 60-70kph (37-43mph) on inter-city roads and 80-100 kph (50-62mph) on motorways. An International Driving Permit is required to drive in Jakarta.
Emergency breakdown services
Tel: 0800 140 1287.
Routes to the city
Express roads supposedly connect Jakarta with most of the other main cities on the island of Java, but in reality conditions can be poor and congestion is a serious problem. There is a ring road around the city. Toll roads already operate out to the airport and also connect Jakarta with Bandung.
Coach services
Jakarta has four principal bus terminals. Kalideres is 15km (9 miles) north of Merdeka Square and serves the likes of Merak and Labuan. Kampung Rambutan is 18km (11 miles) south of the city centre and offers buses to Bogor and Bandung. Pulo Gadung is 12km (7.5 miles) east of the centre with services to the likes of Padang and Bukittinggi. Lebak Bulus is 15km (9 miles) south of Jakarta's centre with handy services for tourists to Yogyakarta and Bali.
Myriad bus companies operate to and from Jakarta. Two of the most popular are Safari Dharma Raya (tel: (021) 548 5644; www.safaridharmaraya.com) and Kramat Djati (tel: (022) 420 0858).