Private car ownership in Indonesia: Affecting factors and policy strategies

Without transportation demand management, urban development and population growth could lead to an increase in the use of private vehicles. Ultimately, increased internal and inter-city traffic causes numerous transportation and social issues. This study sought to develop strategies to limit car ownership in Bandung, Jakarta, and Surabaya, three of the largest cities in Indonesia, by examining the factors that influence car ownership. We conducted external and internal analyses as the basis for a SWOT analysis for developing policy strategies. The external and internal analyses were conducted to understand the external and internal factors that influence transportation conditions in each city. The external analysis was conducted using two models, (1) binomial logistic regression (BLR) and (2) multiple linear regression (MLR) based on user surveys, while the internal analysis was derived from secondary data such as the cities’ development plans. Based on the binomial logistic regression analysis of 585 responses, we found various factors affecting the tendency of owning a car, such as socioeconomic background, garage capacity, as well as perception and attitude toward cars and neighborhood conditions. The multiple linear regression analysis supported the results of the binomial logistic regression analysis by revealing the relationship between variables that influence the number of cars owned. Based on these influencing factors and secondary data, we then conducted a SWOT analysis to develop a number of policy strategies to reduce car ownership. These strategies were specifically designed for the three respective cities. Cities with similar characteristics, such as the major cities of Southeast Asia, could also implement the same strategy.