The roadways of the Indonesian capital Jakarta have long been plagued by congestion, affecting even police response to emergencies. The answer: skateboards.

Jakarta's traffic police chief thinks skateboards will be able to get the traffic police to a congested road much faster than cars or motorbikes. He's hired a professional skateboarder to teach 20 police officers, so they can begin patrolling starting July 1.

Recent efforts to improve congestion in the city, such as carpooling measures, restricted access to downtown areas and the creation of dedicated bus lanes, have done little to relieve traffic jams.