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Editorial: TransJakarta Bus Just the First Step
July 16, 2010

It is high time the capital had a safe, modern, clean, orderly and efficient public transport system and did away with the polluting and often unsafe buses in use today. It is high time the capital had a safe, modern, clean, orderly and efficient public transport system and did away with the polluting and often unsafe buses in use today.
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alwin adityo
2:30pm Jul 19, 2010

The government can continue to develop the Transjakarta network, but with one of the cheapest parking rates in the world, it still would be hard to persuade residents who use cars and live far from a public transportation (busway) stop to use mass transit. Take into account this: A commuter from Lebak Bulus and works in Jalan Thamrin would have to take a 2 hour trip one way if they use the Busway and would have to make a transfer at the always crowded Harmoni Station. Additionally the busway along the corridor from Lebak Bulus often experiences its lane being "invaded" by private vehicles, hence the increase in travel time and headways between buses. Commuters also would feel they are not saving anytime by using the busway, as the lane in corridor 8 is mostly clogged with private vehicles, especially in the section south of Simprug. How about a busway as a transportation let's say for a group of four people? A round trip ticket would cost Rp 28,000 and would cost up to an additional Rp 40,000 if the group needs a feeder to reach a busway stop. If they take their cars to a destination that is 15 km from their starting point and park somewhere for 5 hours, let's say from Lebak Bulus to Plaza Indonesia, it would cost in the neighborhood of Rp 20,000 including gasoline and parking. It will also be more time efficient. By car, that journey takes at most 1.5 hours. Hence, in order to attract riders, the busway service has to first improve and after getting the stamp of approval for riders, it is up to government to "punish" private vehicles users by implementing either congestion tax or increasing parking rates in the downtown core area of the city during peak hours.


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The TransJakarta busway was a major breakthrough as a public transportation system for the metropolitan Jakarta area. Began as a pilot project some five years ago, it has been expanded to include numerous corridors and now covers large parts of the city.

Jakarta remains one of the few capital cities in the region without a proper public transportation system. The mass rapid transit project has remained on the drawing board for nearly two decades now and still shows no signs of being implemented.

As such the TransJakarta busway system is essential to the movement of people within the city.

According to data from TransJakarta, 42 million commuters used the system so far this year, while 80 million people used it during the entire year of 2009. This clearly indicates that the system is both useful and essential for Jakartans.

But, as a recent survey of commuters indicates, it still needs significant improvement. Users are unhappy at long waiting time for buses, overcrowding and malfunctioning air-conditioners.

Having spent millions of dollars on the system, these complaints are unacceptable.

Passengers also noted in the survey that officers were at times unhelpful and that they found drivers and other passengers smoking on the buses.

But perhaps the most serious complaint was that female passengers on the TransJakarta buses were being sexually harassed with an alarming frequency.

Udar Pristono , head of Jakarta’s Transportation Office, has said that he will look into the complaints by ensuring that the buses arrive and depart on time.

His office is also in discussions with the police to ensure that busway lanes are not used by other vehicles, thus ensuring that the lanes remain unobstructed.

The office also plans to assign women officers in the transit shelters to deter sexual harassment of female commuters and to ensure that passengers are orderly when boarding and alighting from the buses.

This is a necessary step to guarantee that commuters have a safe and pleasant journey.

In the absence of an alternative, the TransJakarta busway system must not only be maintained but also improved on by the city authorities.

A safe and efficient public transportation system is critical to reducing traffic congestion and improving the quality of life of city residents.

In fact, it is hoped that going forward, the city administration will expand the system and link it to the MRT and other modes of public transport.

It is high time the capital had a safe, modern, clean, orderly and efficient public transport system and did away with the polluting and often unsafe buses in use today.

The TransJakarta system is a good start towards the goal. But it cannot stop there. The city government must push on with the development of a proper transportation system that benefits all city residents.