A

s part of its drive to improve the service of the TransJakarta Busway, the city will use advanced technology to track its fleet serving all 10 corridors starting early next year.

With Global Positioning Systems (GPS), the city expects to cut travel and wait times.

“The technology will allow Trans-Jakarta operators to adjust the number of buses plying certain routes and shift them to routes in need of more buses in real-time,” Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said.

However, Fauzi added that he did not expect a significant improvement in TransJakarta’s service and efficiency. He only hoped that the new tracking system would reduce buses’ idle time in terminals, in turn boosting the number of passengers serviced.

Technicians would begin installing the GPS devices in April. Later, the city plans to set up a command center at the Transportation Agency office on Jl. Abdul Muis, Central Jakarta.

Soetanto Soehodo, assistant governor for transportation, industry and trade, said that the city administration had collaborated with the Institute for Transportation Development Policy, and a number of private companies before beginning work on the project.

The city is still determining how much the new system would cost, Soetanto said on Thursday.

TransJakarta currently operates 426 buses on eight routes. Corridor I runs from Blok M to Kota, Corridor II from Pulogadung to Harmoni, Corridor III from Kalideres to Harmoni, Corridor IV from Pulogadung to Dukuh Atas, Corridor V from Kampung Melayu to Ancol, Corridor VI from Ragunan to Kuningan, Corridor VII from Kampung Melayu to Kampung Rambutan and Corridor VIII from Lebak Bulus to Harmoni.

The addition of 94 new buses allowed for two new routes, Corridor IX from Pinang Ranti to Pluit and Corridor X from Cililitan to Tanjung Priok, which open today.

Separately, Operational Manager of the TransJakarta Management Body (BLU) Gunardjo said that operators were working to reduce the headway of buses, the time intervals between buses plying the same routes.

“We need to add more fuel stations for our buses and keep private vehicles out of busway lanes,” he said on Thursday.

Transportation expert from the University of Indonesia Alvinsyah said that advanced technology, however, is not the key to improving TransJakarta Busway’s service.

“The more important things are the human resources and the systems used by busway operators,” he said.

Alvinsyah said he supported the city’s plan to turn BLU into a city-owned enterprise, a measure that would provide TransJakarta with its own budget, separate from the administration budget.

“The public expects that when TransJakarta has become an independent body it will turn away from the profit-oriented paradigm and start providing more professional service to the public,” he said.

The Indonesian Consumers Foundation said more than 52,000 people used TransJakarta buses every day, but many still complained about long lines at shelters, overcrowded buses and lengthy travel times.