Ahead Of The 79th Anniversary Of The Republic Of Indonesia, Jokowi Jajal Rides The Autonomous Trem

President Jokowi. (Photo: Doc of the Ministry of Transportation)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is trying out the mode of autonomous tram transportation or Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) ahead of the 79th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia in the capital city of Nusantara (IKN), East Kalimantan.

Jokowi was also accompanied by Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) as well as Acting Head of the Archipelago Capital Authority (IKN) Basuki Hadimuljono, as well as a number of ministers of the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet.

After trying the autonomous tram, Jokowi hopes that in the future the electric-based mass transportation can be used in IKN and other cities in Indonesia.

I already used it. If we use an autonomous tram, the road must be wide, and the road in IKN has been designed wide, sufficient for that. I think all other cities in Indonesia need mass transportation based on green energy. For example, Surabaya, Makassar, Medan, Bandung, I think we already need mass transportation like this," Jokowi said in an official statement, Tuesday, August 13.

Jokowi also said that one of the advantages of using autonomous trams is relatively cheap costs. This is because the operation of autonomous trams is not rail-based and only uses existing roads, so it does not require infrastructure development.

The autonomous brem is approximately Rp. 70 billion in a series. If we want to build the MRT per kilometer of Rp. 2.3 trillion, if we want to build the LRT, it's approximately Rp. 700 billion per kilometer. The difference is there," he said.

"The current problem is that almost all cities have a wide run. So not all cities can use ART," he continued.

On this occasion, Budi said, currently in IKN there is an autonomous tram series that will function as a feeder for participants of the 79th Indonesian Independence Day ceremony.

Budi said the tram will operate at a cruising speed of 40 km per hour on Jalan Sumbu Kebangsaan Barat and Jalan Sumbu Kebangsaan Timur.

"The travel time for one round is 5 minutes, with a waiting time at each stop of 30 seconds. There are 4 stops that will be stopped by autonomous trams, namely the Coordinating Ministry for 1st, Coordinating Ministry, Coordinating Ministry for 3rd, and Coordinating Ministry for 4," said Budi.

Furthermore, Budi said, autonomous trams will operate using electric power sourced from batteries.

This is expected to be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, as well as in line with the concepts and principles of IKN as a smart, green, and sustainable city area.

The autonomous brem will charge after the mobilization of guests in the morning and before the mobilization of guests in the afternoon. We ensure that the position of the autonomous tram during charging will not interfere with the movement and the surrounding environment because it does not cause sound or noise from these facilities," said the Minister of Transportation.

Budi said the autonomous tram will go through the Autonomous Tram Operation Phase (POC) for 60 days from August 10 to October 9, 2024.

Testing is intended to better know the feasibility of autonomous tram operations.

After POC, continued Budi, an evaluation will be carried out by the Directorate General of Railways (DJKA) together with the Archipelago Capital Authority (OIKN). Then, from October 10 to December 31, 2024, autonomous trams will be exhibited to the public. During the showcase period, people can enjoy autonomous trams for free.

"We are optimistic that autonomous trams can operate well in IKN and become a model for other cities in Indonesia in implementing smart and environmentally friendly modern mass transportation," said the Minister of Transportation.