DKI DPRD Soroti Transjakarta Plan to Manage Thousand Islands, Safety is the Main Condition 

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government's plan to transfer the management of marine transportation to the Thousand Islands from the Transportation Service to PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta) has received support from the DKI Jakarta DPRD. However, the DPRD reminded that the change should not stop at the change of manager alone.

Member of Commission B of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Muhammad Alfatih, said that the people of the Thousand Islands must receive public transportation services that are equivalent to Jakarta residents on the mainland.

"In principle, we support the DKI Provincial Government's efforts to provide equal public transportation for all Jakarta residents, including the Thousand Islands community," Alfatih told reporters, Tuesday, August 11.

According to him, the transfer of management to Transjakarta could be a positive step if it is able to improve connectivity and facilitate the mobility of residents from the Thousand Islands to the Jakarta mainland and vice versa.

However, Alfatih asked the DKI Provincial Government to ensure that the community really feels the improvement in service quality after the management was transferred.

"Don't let the only thing that changes is the operator. The boat is indeed moving from the Police to Transjakarta, but the people of the Thousand Islands don't feel that there is an improvement in service," he said.

He assessed that sea transportation has a different character from land transportation. Therefore, the readiness of Transjakarta needs to be thoroughly studied before taking over the operation of the ship owned by the DKI Jakarta Transportation Service.

According to Alfatih, the aspect of maritime safety must be a priority, starting from the condition of the ship, crew competence, maintenance and docking, licensing, weather conditions, to the readiness of the pier.

"Marine transportation has a different character and risk. All aspects of safety, from ship conditions, crew, weather to piers must be thoroughly ensured before the service is carried out," said Alfatih.

Apart from operational aspects, the DPRD also asked the DKI Provincial Government to open a transparent business plan for the transfer of the management of marine transportation.

Alfatih said the DPRD needed to know the budget needs, the condition of the ship's assets, operational and maintenance costs, to the amount of subsidies that will later be borne by the APBD.

"The business plan must be clear. We need to know how much the budget is, what the condition of the existing assets is, how much the operational costs are, including subsidies per passenger and the improvement of services that will be received by the public," he said.

He also proposed that the DKI Provincial Government should not have to operate all the boats independently. According to him, marine transportation operators who already have competence can be involved in management, while Transjakarta plays the role of system integrator.

"Transjakarta can be the system integrator, while the technical affairs of shipping can be handled by operators who are competent. That way, the service remains integrated but the management is also efficient," concluded Alfatih.

In general, the Governor of DKI Jakarta Pramono Anung decided that the management of transportation from mainland Jakarta to the Thousand Islands would be transferred to PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta). The plan is targeted to start running in 2027 after regulations and tariff schemes are prepared.

Pramono assessed that the management of transportation to the Thousand Islands, which has been under the DKI Jakarta Transportation Service, has not been efficient. Therefore, the DKI Provincial Government will prepare a new mechanism by handing over its management to Transjakarta.