The Elimination Of The Transjakarta Route Blok M-Kota Is Called To Make Users Self-Defense Increase

The discourse on removing corridor 1 Transjakarta services with the Blok M-Kota route by the DKI Provincial Government has been criticized by a number of parties. One of them is the Chairman of the Institute for Transportation Studies (Instran) Ki Darmaningtyas.

Even though the Blok M-Kota route will still be available on the Jakarta MRT route after the construction of phase 2A is complete, Darmaningtyas emphasized that the elimination of corridor 1 Transjakarta will increase the use of private vehicles.

"Deleting the TJ Corridor 1 service will clearly reduce the number of public transport users and will increase private vehicle users, especially motorbikes," said Darmaningtyas, Monday, December 23.

According to this transportation expert, Corridor 1's contribution in facilitating the mobility of Jabodetabek residents every day is quite high, it can reach 66,000 people on weekdays.

"If 50 percent of them return to riding motorbikes, because they are unable to ride the MRT, then it will increase the complicated city of Jakarta," said Darmaningtyas.

Darmaningtyas assessed that not everyone is willing to move transportation from Transjakarta to MRT Jakarta. This is because the MRT Jakarta tariff is clearly much more expensive because it is based on distance.

Currently, the tariff for MRT Jakarta Lebak Bulus HI has reached Rp. 14,000. Meanwhile, the single Transjakarta tariff for use on any route is only Rp. 3,500.

"With such a tariff, it is clearly impossible for TJ users to reach it. The tariff is affordable for private car users," said Darmaningtyas.

"So from this social economic aspect alone, it is very unrealistic that Transjakarta customers will move Transjakarta customers to the MRT. Once they are forced to move to the MRT because corridor 1 Transjakarta services are abolished, they will move to motorbikes, and this is clearly an undeniable joke," he continued.

Previously, the Head of the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency, Syafrin Liputo, explained the reason for the discourse on removing the Transjakarta route in corridor 1, namely Blok M-Kota, if MRT Jakarta Phase 2A operates.

Syafrin said, when MRT Jakarta phase 2A operates, the route to the Lebak Bulus-Kota service will be the same as 100 percent with the Transjakarta Blok M-Kota route.

Meanwhile, the DKI Provincial Government needs to save on APBD expenditure for transportation subsidies or public service obligation (PSO) whose value reaches trillions of rupiah per year.

"We must make efficiency in the management of PSO funds, Subsidy funds. Where, based on the results of a study of mass public transport services which are 100 percent parallel, automatically there will be two subsidies there," explained Syafrin.

Syafrin emphasized that in the future, bus stops and buses that have been serving routes in corridor 1 will still exist. However, there will be changes in routes and stop points from serving the 1 Blok M-Kota corridor.