The Target Of 60 Percent Of Jakarta Residents Not Using Private Vehicles, Public Transportation Should Be Expanded Not Removed

The traffic atmosphere is near the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout area. (The Jakarta DPRD Situs)

JAKARTA Towards the end of 2024, Indonesian citizens were again shocked by an official statement planning to remove the one Transjakarta corridor by 2029. In fact, Jakarta has a target of 60 percent of its citizens using public transportation by 2030.

The discourse on removing Transjakarta corridor 1 Blok M-Kota if the Lebak Bulus-Kota MRT has been completed by the Head of the Jakarta Transportation Service (Dishub) Syafrin Liputo. The reason is to reduce the overlap on services on the same route.

"Regarding the planning for overlapping services, it has also been included in the Jakarta transportation master plan, that for example for the Lebak Bulus MRT until the City is built," said Syafrin.

"So the Transjakarta corridor 1 service from Blok M to Kota is abolished," he added.

Transportation observer Ki Darmaningtyas said that the plan to remove the 1 Transjakarta corridor made by the Head of the Jakarta Transportation Agency, Syarin, was a ridiculous idea. A similar opinion was also made by the Chairman of the Indonesian Transportation Community's Approximation Division (MTI) Aditya Dwi Laksana also regretted the discourse because Jakarta has a target of 60 percent of its people using public transportation in 2030.

For Jakarta residents, Transjakarta services are one of the main modes of public transportation for the last two decades. The idea of building a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has actually emerged since 2001. However, the realization can only be done three years later.

Transjakarta has officially become DKI Jakarta's public transportation since February 1, 2004. The presence of this bus is considered a solution and changes the face of public transportation in the capital city.

For the corridor of one Blok M-City route covering a length of 12.9 kilometers, it was first launched on January 15, 2004. This is also the oldest corridor owned by Transjakarta.

At the beginning of its appearance, the Transjakarta tariff was only Rp. 2,000, before 2012 the Jakarta Transportation Agency decided to increase the tariff to Rp. 3,500. This price has not changed until now.

But now the existence of the oldest Transjakarta corridor is threatened, following the discourse of the Jakarta Transportation Agency to remove the Blok M-Kota route in 2029 when the phase two MRT project is completed. The two modes of transportation will work together because they have the same route.

This discourse certainly reaps rejection from various circles. MRT and Transjakarta have different characteristics, ranging from socio-economic to network characters. From an economic point of view, the Transjakarta tariff which is only Rp. 3,500 is much cheaper than the MRT which charges a price of Rp. 14,000 for the Lebak Bulus-Bunderan HI route.

Aditya Dwi Laksana from MTI regretted the idea revealed by the Head of the Jakarta Transportation Agency, Syafrin Liputo. According to him, the Transjakarta route for Blok M-Kota does not need to be deleted just so that MRT sells more or reduces the subsidies of the provincial government.

The reason, said Aditya, is that Transjakarta has a wider network than the MRT because it has transited between corridors and non-choridors. In addition, the Transjakarta tariff is also more affordable than the MRT.

"People still need affordable tariffs, then the movement of people will increase from year to year, so that the number, type, and transportation capacity should generally be increased, and not reduced," Aditya said when contacted by VOI.

"For example, for a close trip and/or moving through other Transjakarta corridors, I still choose to ride TJ over MRT. For example like that," Aditya continued.

The government will continue the phase three MRT project from east to west, from Cikarang, West Java, to Balaraja, Banten. This route stretches along 84 km, and passes through the Jakarta area along 33.7 km.

Seeing the MRT development plan that will be increasingly spread to a number of areas, Aditya feels that instead of removing the Transjakarta route, it should actually increase public transportation to 'envelope'. This is also done in order to realize the target of moving people using private vehicles to public transportation.

In fact, if there is an Ancol-Lebakbulus north-south MRT, as well as the west of Cikarang-Balaraja, it is even necessary for TJ to transport the feeder even though there is a narrow operation route, the target is 60 percent of people using public transportation in 2030, Aditya explained.

Aditya also said that Indonesia should be able to imitate other countries such as Hong Kong, which have various types of public transportation even though the route is located between MRT and trams and city buses.

Karena masing-masing moda memiliki segmen pengguna sendiri sesuai kebutuhan. Selain itu, ini juga untuk meningkatkan kapasitas transport umumnya, ujar Aditya lagi.

In addition, Aditya also felt worried that the stops along corridor one would be abandoned even though it had just been revitalized on a large scale with investment funds and made into commercial areas, such as Thamrin, HI Roundabout, Tosari, Dukuh Atas.

"Do you want it to be abolished?" said Aditya.

The MRT and BRT character is different in terms of tariff affordability, access flexibility, mode connectivity, so BRT in a narrowing corridor does not need to be abolished, especially if the intention is to increase public transport capacity and move private vehicle users to public transportation," he continued.

On the other hand, transportation observer Ki Darmaningtyas invited the Head of the Jakarta Transportation Agency, Syafrin Liputo, to learn from the operation of Light Rail Transit Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Bekasi (Jabodebek).

Before being inaugurated operating by President Joko Widodo on August 28, 2023, there was concern that the potential for Transjakarta customers would decrease because they moved to the Jabodebek LRT. Likewise, when the LRT imposed a promotion rate at the beginning of operation.

But it turns out that all the worries were wrong, because what happened was the opposite. In a number of Transjakarta bus stops that are integrated with LRT stations, the total number of customers has increased to more than 2,000 people every day.

"Why is that? Yes, because people who transport need connectivity. Therefore, what must be escorted by the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency in the construction of the second phase of the MRT is how to integrate the stations with other public transportation services, including with TJ Corridor one," said Darmaningtyas.

"If what appears actually kills existing services, then there is no thought of service integration between MRT and TJ Corridor one or another," he continued.

Damaningtyas suggested, while there are still three years (2025-2027), he invites Dishub to think about how to build MRT service integration with TJ and how to move private car users to MRT and TJ.

"Don't ever think about eliminating proven services that have so many and wide service networks, unless it's just looking for it easy," he said.