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Channel Nine Australia, on its “A Current Affair” program, recently reported that the New South Wales roads authority had been forced to back down after issuing a man with “five infringements within five minutes for traveling in a bus lane.” Sydney man Greg Aghayan received five fines worth $243 and lost 15 demerit points when he turned — accidently, he claims — into a TransitWay road in Castle Hill last April.

“For a split minute I was lost and I ended up in the bus lane,” he told the program. The culmination of demerit points meant he would lose his license and not be able to do his job — which he felt was unfair after driving for 28 years without a blemish on his record.

Having driven in Australia for 37 years without a blemish, I recently tried my luck at driving in Jakarta. If I can drive on the other side of the road in Europe, driving in Jakarta would be easy, right? Actually, it was more a matter of overcoming my fear of motorbikes, Metro Minis and kopajas , those scary old green buses. In the past year I had learned the ins and outs of driving from the back seat of Blue Bird taxis maneuvering in traffic jams while I let out little yelps.

The trick is to start on weekends when there is no peak-hour traffic. But beware, it is family day! Parents on motorbikes with toddlers standing between them without helmets are a sight that send shivers down my spine.

The weekend after we took delivery of a silver Avanza, my husband and I braved the traffic heading to Ancol, where we drove around and around the theme park. But going home at 9 p.m., the traffic was heavier than on a Monday morning. Taking the toll road, I took the right lane and missed the turnoff to Cawang, ending up on the way to Bogor. An argument with hubby made the driving all the more dangerous.

“Why didn’t you tell me that we got to the turnoff?”

“Well,” came his calm reply, “you were so confident in the right lane, I was scared to tell you to move to the left so suddenly.”

And he was right! If you drive in the right lane on the toll, you must go like lightning or you get pushed off the road.

The next Monday, I was ready to go for my Indonesian license. Driving out of my apartment into Kuningan, cars slow down but one still has to give way to motorbikes and kopajas. Remembering my cousin’s advice, “harus PD” — show confidence — I proceeded into the “fast lane,” which was moving at five kilometers an hour. Using my horn — which I just love because in Australia one can become a road-rage victim in similar circumstances — I managed to pass two traffic lights. Almost! The first traffic light was red but the police were urging us on.

Should I stop? Or should I follow instructions and run the light?

At the second traffic light, there was more confusion! The police beckoned us to go into the busway lane and, as if led by a queen bee, a swarm of motorbikes cut across from every other lane to race into the lane. However, the wonderful feeling of having an “executive lane” away from the rest of the peak-hour traffic was short-lived. At the next traffic light, another policemen waved us out of the lane.

So I struggled on between the kopajas and Metro Mini buses that stop when and wherever they please, some letting passengers off in the right lane.

Finally I breathed easy and turned up my new cassette at the red light in Pejaten. Traffic from four corners was trying to beat each other but the police were busy watching a bule on a bicycle. The lanky Caucasian was riding an up-market red racing bike and dressed in bike gear — lycra gray and pink shorts, a dark tank top, a red helmet and a mask. He biked to the middle of the road and pointed for the police to open the blue gate across the busway lane, which is meant to deter traffic from going on the busway. One policeman beckoned to his colleague and nodded. “ Ya, buka saja !” (“Yes, just open it!”) And with a grateful nod the bule got on his bike and started racing along the empty lane toward the Golden Triangle. Another Bike to Work fan?

Just as I thought the lights were changing, all traffic stopped. A bus arrived at high speed. The police again opened the barricade to let it through. What happened to the bule on the bike? He must be racing for his life while being chased by the bus!

Driving in Jakarta has been my biggest achievement so far. Unfortunately I now have to sell my less-than-two-month-old Avanza because we are leaving Jakarta. But I’d like to say a huge “thank you” to the car drivers of Jakarta for their patience and tolerance on the roads.

Unlike in Australia, in Jakarta the busway is open for all who dare.

Roswita Nimpuno Khaiyath is a broadcast journalist, academic and linguist.