The Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) has refused the Jakarta administration’s plan to relocate regular buses that ply similar routes to those on the TransJakarta bus rapid transit to intercity routes
he Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) has refused the Jakarta administration’s plan to relocate regular buses that ply similar routes to those on the TransJakarta bus rapid transit to intercity routes.
“These buses are designed to ply short distance, inner city routes. Owners will have to revamp the buses to be able to serve the longer distances,” said Organda chairperson Eka Sari Lorena Soerbakti.
The Jakarta Transportation Agency will revoke operational permits of regular buses that ply routes similar to those of the TransJakarta buses starting in February to get more people to use the rapid transit buses.
Soerbakti said it would be better for the regular buses to be used as feeder buses for TransJakarta.
“We are asking the Jakarta administration to have a discussion with Organda. We can look for lines that would not intersect with Trans-jakarta routes,” she said.
Soerbakti said that by moving feeder bus routes closer to residential areas, citizens would have better access to the mass transportation.
The permit revocation would cease the operations of 123 buses of Mayasari Bhakti and 66 PPD buses serving, among other routes, Kampung Rambutan-Muara Angke, Kampung Rambutan-Tangerang, Grogol-Bekasi, Kampung Rambutan-Kalideres and Blok M-Muara Angke.
Mayasari Bhakti has reported a decreasing number of passengers after the launch of TransJakarta Corridor 9, connecting Pinang Ranti in East Jakarta and Pluit in North Jakarta, and Corridor 10, Tanjung Priok-Cililitan, last month.
Deputy Governor Prijanto said recently that he was expecting the Transportation Agency to move the regular buses out of town.
“It would do no good to solving city congestion if the buses stayed. It would only create a mess,” Prijanto said.
However, Transportation Agency head Udar Pristono said on Tuesday that the city would leave it to the regular bus operators how to use their buses.
“The agency cannot intervene to the point of relocating their buses. They can add more buses to other routes or replace older buses,” Pristono said.
According to the agency’s data there are a total of 8,428 poorly maintained buses in the city, which amounts to 76 percent of the total number of buses in Jakarta, leaving only 2,663 buses in proper condition.
The city is expecting to construct two more TransJakarta corridors in the next two years, and to start the construction of mass rapid transit and monorail projects in the coming years as well. Jakarta now has 10 busway routes.
Despite poor service, TransJakarta has seen a significant increase in the number of passengers every year. In 2007, 61.4 million passengers rode TransJakarta, increasing the following year to 74.6 million.
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