Blok M-City Route Will Be Removed, Transportation Expert: Evidence Of Dishub Never Riding Transjakarta

Transjakarta illustration (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Transportation expert from the Institute for Transportation Studies (Instran), Ki Darmaningtyas assessed that the discourse on removing corridor 1 Transjakarta services with the Blok M-Kota route by the DKI Provincial Government was a fatal mistake.

This refers to a statement by the Head of the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency (Dishub) Syafrin Liputo which revealed that the Transjakarta Blok M-Kota route was abolished when the MRT Jakarta phase 2A was completed and operational.

Darmaningtyas assessed that the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency, which planned the abolition, seemed not to know the conditions on the ground and how the character of Transjakarta customers was with the Jakarta MRT.

"Kadishub's statement that abolished the Transjakarta corridor 1 service is proof that the Head of Transportation Agency itself has never taken Transjakarta, especially corridor 1, so that its staff cannot provide input according to reality," Darmaningtyas told reporters, Monday, December 23.

Daemaningtyas is worried that the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency's plan to remove corridor 1 Transjakarta service is only based on input from consultants or experts who have never taken public transportation, especially on this route.

Because, he emphasized that the travel pattern of Transjakarta users is very different from the Jakarta MRT. Currently, corridor 1 Transjakarta is connected to services with Corridor 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12.13, and various non-choridor routes.

In addition, the character of Transjakarta customers is also different from the character of MRT customers, especially from the socio-economic aspect and the amount of tariffs. So that Darmaningtyas emphasized that the Jakarta MRT service cannot replace Transjakarta even though it is on the same track.

"From the socio-economic aspect, MRT customers have a higher class, as can be seen from their more glowing physical appearance, their average branded types of clothing, as well as their bags. It is very rare for MRT customers to carry plastic bags or cardboard boxes. But it is too easy to find TJ customers carrying plastic or cardboard bags," explained Darmaningtyas.

Then, the Jakarta MRT tariff is clearly much more expensive because based on the distance. Currently, the MRT Jakarta Lebak Bulus tariff for HI is Rp. 14,000. Meanwhile, the Transjakarta tariff for use on any route is only Rp. 3,500.

"Once they are forced to move to MRT because corridor 1 Transjakarta services are abolished, then they will move to motorbikes, and this is clearly an unforgivable chaos," he said.

Previously, the Head of the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency, Syafrin Liputo, explained the reason for the discourse on removing the Transjakarta route in corridor 1, namely Blok M-Kota, if MRT Jakarta Phase 2A operates.

Syafrin said, when MRT Jakarta phase 2A operates, the route to the Lebak Bulus-Kota service will be the same as 100 percent with the Transjakarta Blok M-Kota route.

Meanwhile, the DKI Provincial Government needs to save on APBD expenditure for transportation subsidies or public service obligation (PSO) whose value reaches trillions of rupiah per year.

"We must make efficiency in the management of PSO funds, Subsidy funds. Where, based on the results of a study of mass public transport services which are 100 percent parallel, automatically there will be two subsidies there," explained Syafrin.

Syafrin emphasized that in the future, bus stops and buses that have been serving routes in corridor 1 will still exist. However, there will be changes in routes and stop points from serving the 1 Blok M-Kota corridor.