History Of Jak Lingko: Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno's Strategy To Invite Jakarta Residents To Take Public Transportation

Jak Lingko cards are one of the modes of public transportation in DKI Jakarta. (Instagram/@jaklingkoindonesia)

JAKARTA - Efforts to change the habit of private vehicles to public transportation are not easy. Each Governor of DKI Jakarta once felt dizzy. Anies Baswedan, for example. Anies and his staff also worked together. The power owner wants to unite all modes of transportation in Jakarta in one place. From public transportation to Transjakarta.

Jakarta residents can access all existing public transportation at low prices. So that Jakarta residents want to take public transportation, he thought. People know the program under the name Ok Otrip, then become JakLingko.

The election of the Governor (Pilgub) of DKI Jakarta in 2017 was able to attract the attention of the entire archipelago. Candidates also appeared and narrowed to two pairs. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok)- Djarot Saiful Hidayat faced Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno.

Each candidate brings their respective Jargons. Ahok-Djarot with the jargon of Great Hard Work. While Anies-Sandi with Jakarta Maju Bersama. The two pairs of candidates then began to throw promises to improve Jakarta.

Jakarta's traffic jam is the main focus. Ahok, who at that time had incumbent status, had a track record of continuing the program that had been previously launched. Among other things, the construction of Integrated Moda Raya (MRT) and Electronic Paid Roads (Electronic Road Pricing).

The microtrans, commonly known as angkot, is part of Jak Lingko. (Wikimedia Commons)

Anies-Sandi didn't want to lose. Instead, they thought about how to integrate all transportation in Jakarta. The idea of the Ok Otrip program also emerged. Jakarta residents will have only one card to access all existing transportation at affordable prices.

The campaign continues to roll out. This is because the problem of traffic jams in Jakarta is not only a matter of presenting a variety of public transportation, but how to attract people to leave the habit of using private vehicles to public transportation.

The campaigns were smoothed out with other promises. From the one that makes sense to the other.

Anies-Sandi was successful by launching a very thorough identity campaign, including (with prejudicial calls) in houses of worship, which are prone to triggering horizontal and vertical conflicts (because Ahok's former partner later became President). Populism is consciously adopted and launched at the expense of minority groups in order to gain a power seat.

"And after power was obtained, populist policies began to be implemented. Legalizing rickshaws (later canceled) to re-operation in Jakarta and creating a zero percent down payment project, which is irrational from an economic perspective, if not manipulative, is some examples of populist policies," explained Poltak Partogi Nainggolan in the book Transition and theground of Post-Soeharto Democratic Consolidation (2021).

Anies-Sandi also won. They became the new Governor and Deputy Governor (Deputy Governor) of Jakarta. This power makes all kinds of campaign promises begin to be realized, one by one. Mainly, the affairs of overcoming congestion in Jakarta.

Both of them tried to invite all Jakartans to change their habits from using private vehicles to public transportation. He started repairing all kinds of existing public transportation. Then, Anies Sandi created the Ok Otrip program in 2018.

The program then unites all modes of transportation in Jakarta. From public transportation to Transjakarta. The goal is to make it easier for Jakarta residents to carry out their activities. They can access all public transportation that is integrated with Ok Otrip at affordable costs.

The trial was then perpetuated for nine months. Ok Otrip collaborated with 483 fleets serving 44 routes (now it reaches hundreds of routes). The results are brilliant. Ok Otrip fans increased. In fact, almost hundreds of thousands per day. Even the price incurred by passengers is cheaper than carrying private vehicles.

Ok Otrip also began to change its name when Sandiaga Uno chose to resign from the position of Deputy Governor. Sandiaga's departure was marked by Ok Otrip's change to JakLingko in November 2018. Anies Baswedan also perfected the integration of existing transportation, including cooperating with MRT, LRT, to KAI Comutter.

Jakarta residents only need JakLingko cards and applications as a means of payment. After that, Jakarta residents can enjoy a variety of transportation with tariffs and integrated routes with one tap and one tariff.

Everything was done by Anies according to the philosophy of Jak Lingko's own name. Jak means Jakarta. Lingko means a network taken from the name of the rice fields system on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara. Alias Jakarta, which has networks and existed to this day.

The steps taken by Anies so far are in the regulation of public transportation rates. The tariff between modes of transportation is made uniform by providing economic incentives that are enforced per hour, both for residents who travel close to and far. This means that the tariff for boarding public transportation is not calculated based on distance, but based on how long the residents are on the transportation. The price set is IDR 5,000 per hour.

This program is known as Jak-Lingko, which is an integrated transportation system program (integrated routes, management, and payments) by involving large buses, medium buses, small buses, and rail-based transportation. In addition to providing economic incentives, there are no other policies, especially those that intersect with two-wheeled vehicles, "explained Hikmat Budiman in the book Sudah Senja in Jakarta (2020).