There are some airports which are notoriously bad for traffic. Two that immediately come to mind are Jakarta and Sao Paulo, where a transfer between the airport and the city can often take several hours.
But it seems like there might be a solution which can cut your travel time in half. Yep, you don’t have to be a head of state or diplomat to get a police escorted convoy to the airport. In Jakarta you can get it for a very reasonable price, actually.
Specifically, there’s a guy in Jakarta — Eric — who offers both airport transfers and city transfers with two police motorcycle escorts:
Travel in a VIP police escorted convoy. It will halve most journey times. We will arrange police outriders to escort our customized MPV around Jakarta as you direct and for airport transfers. Every service is licensed. It is for visiting foreign business VIPs. It is safe, status enhancing & very practical.
They claim that the service is legitimate:
Our service is for important foreign visitors. It is not a “grey” or black service. It is licensed by the Police HQ. The Policemen will have a letter of authority from their commander which permits them to go where and park where they need, including VIP spots at the airport and at lobbies of hotels, offices and malls. We use up to 4 police motor cyclists taken from a pool of regular riders (they share the bikes and work as a team each day). We view 2 outriders as the most efficient and effective configuration.
Eric has been trained by this elite police unit in fast and safe police convoy driving techniques. Special signalling and coordination is required when forging a pathway through a gridlock or at speed on the highway. The Police prefer to have a regular driver they trust, and a properly equipped vehicle, with radio scanners that lets them give and take instruction as the convoy goes along and/or adjust routes.
Using the same core team is safer for the passengers, for other road users and for the police themselves (as they don’t have to worry about an untrained and inexperienced driver behind them).
Here’s a video of the police escorted convoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35NMKej5uuc
How much will a service like this cost you? While Eric’s brochure says pricing is only available via email, from searching online I found what seems to be (or at least seems to have been) Eric’s price list:
It looks like it costs $90 to be driven from the airport to the city, while the ride with a police escort costs a total of $199.
Bottom line
I’m not gonna lie, that’s pretty damn awesome. Is it cheap? No. But most places in the world you wouldn’t have access to a service like this, and a ~$100 premium for a police escorted convoy doesn’t seem horrible, given that you can potentially save an hour with an airport transfer.
Would you ever use a police escorted convoy for an airport transfer? If so, would you do it for the time savings, the awesomeness factor, or both? 😀
(Tip of the hat to TravelinWilly)
First of all, I think this sounds vaguely sketchy, but as others have said, its also pretty unethical to take advantage of the corruption of the Jakarta police to save an hour of time. I don't think I could do it.
This is common throughout all of Indonesia, not only Jakarta. If you are in hurry or just want to make a smooth journey, you can have the police to escort you. You can even go through the red-light without the need to stop.
In 1988, I was on a guided tour through China, and when the guide realised we wouldn't make the ferry from Guangzhou to Hong Kong on time, we got a police escort. We all thought it was fantastic, and really enjoyed the experience. It didn't cost us any more for this once in a lifetime event.
Abuse of power? Yes, but is it any worse than the special treatment for the Olympic Games?
For the London 2012 games, lanes on several roads were marked to the sole use of Olympic officials. Police motorcycles blocked off junctions so that VIP convoys could get right of way over other traffic. Businesses were forced to change their names as "Olympic" became a protected mark. The local Olympic Cafe which had been around for 20...
Abuse of power? Yes, but is it any worse than the special treatment for the Olympic Games?
For the London 2012 games, lanes on several roads were marked to the sole use of Olympic officials. Police motorcycles blocked off junctions so that VIP convoys could get right of way over other traffic. Businesses were forced to change their names as "Olympic" became a protected mark. The local Olympic Cafe which had been around for 20 years suddenly had to become the Millennium Cafe.
If you have the money/power you can do anything. That is not something restricted to any one country.
Having said all that, if I had the chance of a police escort, I would find it very hard not to accept, just for the experience.
@Deo -- He seems to be doing it in order to create additional space for the car to drive through. Also, riding in a zig-zag fashion is a common defence technique for motorcyclists as it causes the bike's front light to flash to help catch the eye of drivers ahead.
I am seeing this from pedestrian/other drivers' view and this is NOT COOL. Inconveniencing locals just so you can be amused? If you are using a siren you better be in urgent need of medical care.
This may sound mean but I am just trying to think like a logical, considerate person.
How come no one's yet commented on the way the police guy immediately ahead of the vehicle drives in a zig-zag way and often with one hand? :D
Dont expect traffic to move away swiftly. In Jakarta, hardly anyone care about sirens. Not even the ambulances, as they keep their sirens on and are almost just as stuck in traffic as the rest of us. A police escort will slowly crawl it self through traffic.
Probably fun to try anyway. I havent, but I have seen hundreds of them, since I drive to and from CGK several times a week (well, being...
Dont expect traffic to move away swiftly. In Jakarta, hardly anyone care about sirens. Not even the ambulances, as they keep their sirens on and are almost just as stuck in traffic as the rest of us. A police escort will slowly crawl it self through traffic.
Probably fun to try anyway. I havent, but I have seen hundreds of them, since I drive to and from CGK several times a week (well, being driven is more correct, since I havent tried driving myself)
And if you want so see a awesome clip about what the Indonesian police is up to, I recommend this for a good laugh:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHT1RKkkS3s
Anyway, when you come to Jakarta next time, try Hotel Mulia. And do try Skye Bar (rooftop outside bar and inside restaurant at the 56th floor).
Not to be a party pooper, but corruption and graft, while cute to outsiders, cause serious oppression to the local population. Think about the pregnant lady in the car next to you, whom you're "squeezing out of traffic" for the thrill of it. And you're not even the problem, it's the local businessman who uses this type of escort on a daily basis.
If I were a local I would not hesitate in reporting it....
Not to be a party pooper, but corruption and graft, while cute to outsiders, cause serious oppression to the local population. Think about the pregnant lady in the car next to you, whom you're "squeezing out of traffic" for the thrill of it. And you're not even the problem, it's the local businessman who uses this type of escort on a daily basis.
If I were a local I would not hesitate in reporting it. Of course these a$$holes are powerful, so I'd do it anonymously, just in case. :)
@ Lucky - a much better deal on per-hour basis an escort for the ENTIRE DAY. Only $26/hour for the police bikes (excluding the car).
Wow Lucky, I didn't realise this would get you so excited. Guess you'll just have to go to CGK to do it. May I recommend the Mandarin Oriental for your stay.
I am also tempted to visit Jakarta just for this experience.
I live in Jakarta, and the truth is that if you live here, you can basically do anything if you have the money. Police escorts have always been an option, this guy just makes it available for more people who don't undertsnad the system.
Isnt this the definition of corruption? That you can literally buy the police?
I lived in Jakarta from 2010-2013. I become friends with the General who was in charge of the entire national police force. We used to play golf at Royal Jakarta CC. Everything and anything can be bought in Jakarta. Including what this guy sells police escorts.
This is a form of corruption and illegal use of authority. In no circumstances would the police legally allow this to happen. As an Indonesian guy who wants to see a cleaner government, I want to have this abolished. Nice to have a bucket list, but when you only visit the country for a few days, you don't look at the consequences of this practice on good governance. And yes, you can boo-hoo me all you want.
$100 is more than fair IMO. You better sign up for this someday, Lucky. Hopefully the van has a sun roof, so you can stick your head out and go bee-do bee-do the entire way to the airport.
Never used his services but may try, I've used similar services but they are arranged by the hotel. There's a shady French guy in Thailand that provides this service but I've looked at prices and it is more than what I am paying. Plus I do not really trust a foreigner with this sort of stuff I rather a local with good ties and arranges this sort of thing for a living for heads of state than some guy making a buck.
In a heartbeat!
Haha. Does the SUV have bulletproof windows in the event that someone makes the assumption that you are more of a VIP than your really are?
All I can say is bring it on in Manila !!
Didn't know that Jakarta's traffic is getting that bad. I lived in Jakarta for four years during 2001-2005, and I lived near Senayan, which is in the city center, but it usually takes 45 minutes from the airport to my home
You'd be surprised how many places in the world you can arrange police escort, and how affordable it can be (though certainly more than $100!). Think ~ $350 in the US for an hour and 3 motorcycles.
I am totally using this next time in Jakarta. Awesome and worth it even at $400.
I'd be tempted to go to CGK for no other reason than to have that experience.
BUCKET LIST!