170 Free KRL Alternative Buses Only 77 Units Used

JAKARTA - Head of the Jabodetabek Transportation Management Agency (BPTJ) Polana B. Pramesti said that not all free buses prepared to deal with the Jabodetabek electric train (KRL) queues were used.

Of the 170 buses, only 77 units are used or only carrying 1,112 passengers heading to Jakarta. This number includes 935 people from Bogor, namely Bogor Station and Botani Square, and 177 people from Cikarang Station, Bekasi.

"Of the 170 (free) buses prepared, only 77 are used, namely 65 units in Bogor and 12 units at Cikarang Station," Polana told reporters, Tuesday, July 14.

Polana said, during the monitoring in Bogor yesterday morning, there were still queues that occurred since 05.15 WIB. However, all of them could be decomposed with the use of free buses, so that around 06.30 WIB there were no more queues.

The realization of the free transport buses is not much different from previous times. On Monday, June 15, there were 82 buses prepared, with the realization that 1,145 passengers were transported and 75 buses operated.

The number is mostly from Bogor Station, which is 706 people, while for Bekasi with departures from Tambun Station and Cikarang Station there are 166 people.

The buses prepared in Tangerang are almost not being used because there is no accumulation of KRL passengers, so they only carry 2 people.

"Therefore, in Tangerang, the free bus service will no longer be prepared. Because, there are differences in the characteristics of commuters between Tangerang and Bogor, Tangerang-Jakarta is relatively close and there are enough JR Conn transportation so that commuters have other alternatives," he explained. Polana.

The 170 free buses are provided by the Ministry of Transportation and the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government. In detail, the Ministry of Transportation provides 95 buses with a capacity of 45 passengers and DKI Pemprov provides 75 buses with a capacity of 30 passengers. So, this free bus can accommodate 6,525 passengers.

Seeing that the use of free buses is not fully used but there is still a density at the station, Polana said that his party will provide additional buses as an alternative to using the Jabodetabek electric train (KRL) which always piles up in the morning and evening. This additional bus will be provided in August.

"From the service evaluation, a study is currently being carried out to strengthen the plan to launch the service. The form of service will be the Jabodetabek Residential Connection (JR Conn) Bus," said Polana.

Polana said, the point of departure and stop of the JR Conn Bus service is not from the Bus Terminal or station. The JR Conn bus is placed at a more affordable point from the prospective passenger's settlement in Bodebek to its destination point in Jakarta and vice versa.

"Thus, it is hoped that there will be no accumulation of prospective passengers at stations or terminals," he said.

Polana said that currently there are operator companies willing to provide this regular service. Preparations are under way. Considering that the route taken by the JR Conn bus is across administrative areas in Jabodetabek, the company needs to arrange permits.

Regarding the tariff, Polana admitted that JR Conn might not be as cheap as the KRL tariff. Because, so far, the KRL tariff itself has been subsidized by the Government. "However, efforts are made to be within reasonable limits and affordable for commuters," said Polana.