Trans Semarang wants to use electric buses, drivers don't want to miss out

SEMARANG - Trans Semarang is preparing to upgrade. The diesel fleet will be replaced by electric buses. Special lanes are also included in the big plan. But the homework is not just about engines and asphalt. The fate of the driver must also be calculated.

Academician of the Civil Engineering Program at Unika Soegijapranata and also the Advisory Board of the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI), Djoko Setijowarno, assessed that the modernization of Trans Semarang must run intact.

"The big leap of Trans Semarang towards modernization is not only about replacing diesel engines with electric buses or building special lanes. The success of this transition will be intact when the infrastructure runs together with the guarantee of driver welfare," said Djoko in a written statement received Friday, June 19.

Trans Semarang has a long history. This service started with the assistance of 20 large buses from the Ministry of Transportation to the Semarang City Government in 2008. After using the asset rental scheme in 2009-2010, its management was transferred to the BLU UPTD Mangkang Terminal on October 1, 2010.

Since 2016, management has been transferred to the Semarang City BRT BLU. Starting January 3, 2017, Trans Semarang was officially managed by the Semarang City Transportation Office under the Semarang City Transportation Office.

Data from the Semarang City Transportation Office 2026 noted that Trans Semarang currently has 8 corridors along 285 kilometers and 4 feeders along 125 kilometers. This service is run by seven partner operators.

But the challenge is not easy. Unlike Transjakarta which has a special lane with a permanent separator, most of the Trans Semarang buses are still mixed with private vehicles. During rush hours, the schedule is easy to mess up.

Some of the fleet also needs maintenance and rejuvenation, especially medium buses and micro feeders. In 2026, rejuvenation will begin for the fleet that is not suitable for operation, including the Simpang Lima-Gunungpati-Cangkiran route.

In terms of regulation, Semarang has an important supply. Semarang City Regulation Number 11 of 2024 concerning the Implementation of Transportation regulates transportation subsidies of at least 5 percent of the APBD based on the RPJMD. According to Djoko, progressive rules like this are only owned by three areas, namely Semarang City, Pekanbaru, and Batam.

The next step is electrification. In Corridor I Mangkang Terminal - Pemuda - Penggaron Terminal, 25 diesel buses from 2015 are planned to be replaced by 27 electric buses.

The old diesel bus has a capacity of 80 passengers. The new electric bus has a capacity of 62 passengers, with 32 seats and 30 standing spaces. The trial of electric buses has also been carried out since last year to the beginning of this year in a number of Trans Semarang corridors.

Apart from electric buses, Semarang is included in the MASTRAN program or the Indonesia Mass Transit Project from the Ministry of Transportation through the Directorate General of Land Transportation. This program is supported by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to build reliable, inclusive, integrated, and environmentally friendly urban public transportation.

Together with Medan, Bandung, Surabaya, and Makassar, Semarang has a plan for assistance in developing a special BRT lane. The three priority routes are Simpang Ngaliyan-Simpang Fatmawati/Soetta, Tawang Station-Tugu Muda, and Simpang Lima-Veteran Road.

The length of the track reaches 17.4 kilometers, with 37 stops and 395 bus stops. The investment value reaches Rp. 1.8 trillion for infrastructure development and Rp. 1.125 trillion for fleet procurement.

However, Djoko reminded, modernization should not be good only on paper. The Trans Semarang driver wage system still needs to be improved. Currently, driver remuneration has not been differentiated based on the type of vehicle driven.

He compared it to Trans Jateng and Transjakarta which have differentiated wages based on the characteristics of the fleet, corridors, attendance, and service performance.

Djoko proposed that Elf-based feeder drivers get take home pay equivalent to UMK. Bus drivers are 1.5 times UMK. Meanwhile, large bus drivers reach 2 times UMK.

The modernization of Trans Semarang will ultimately be measured by the things that the community feels the most. Buses are more on time, the journey is more comfortable, the city air is cleaner, and drivers are not only required to work better, but also earn a more decent income.