Transportation Ministry Says Self-Driving Cars Will Be Studied in Indonesia

TheIndonesia.co - Indonesian Ministry of Transportation has said it will prepare a concept to study the implementation and development of self-driving cars in Indonesia as the technology is expected to eventually be utilized in the country.

Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said his office is currently preparing the study concept, but he had yet to reveal when the actual development process will start to take place.

“We will create a concept, and we will find the equilibrium of when we will conduct [the development of self-driving cars],” Sumadi said on Sunday, May 29, as reported by Antara.

He added that self-driving cars or autonomous vehicles (AV) is a prospect in the future, including in Indonesia, yet the technology still needs to be further reviewed and studied.

“It’s undoubted that autonomous [vehicle] is our hope in the future, but on the other hand, we still need job opportunities,” he explained.

Several reports have mentioned that the implementation of AV has the potential of eliminating up to millions of jobs. Therefore, its use in Indonesia must be very carefully planned to prevent spike in unemployment as well as preparing the public at large to welcome the transition.

The desire to implement AV in Indonesia was first expressed by President Joko Widodo in January 2020 when he revealed that the new capital in Kalimantan will only use AV and electric vehicles (EV).

“What we’re going to use in the city is autonomous and electric vehicles; other than that, it’s not allowed,” the President said at the time.