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Transjakarta only ‘stopgap measure’
This is the latest article of the three-part series on the Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit service
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This is the latest article of the three-part series on the Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit service.
The Transjakarta bus service emerged as the latest mode of Jakarta public transportation when it was launched on Jan. 15, 2004; and its introduction was expected to help alleviate the city’s traffic woes.
Although it received some initial negative responses, as the construction of the bus lanes meant taking a lane from already-congested roads, the majority of city residents were enthusiastic.
In the first month, Jakartans were allowed to enjoy the first corridor, plying the Blok M, South Jakarta — Kota, West Jakarta route, for free. In February, the bus fares were set at Rp 3,500 (40 US cent), the figure that still remains today.
In its first year, around 40,000 people were recorded to have used Transjakarta every day. The numbers kept increasing, leading to the opening of a second corridor, connecting Pulogadung in East Jakarta and Harmoni in Central Jakarta, and a third, from Kalideres, West Jakarta to Harmoni, in 2006.
Men at work: Construction workers work on a Transjakarta busway shelter in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, on Sunday. The city administration expects to open the 12-kilometer-long corridor XI, connecting Kampung Melayu and Pulo Gebang, both in East Jakarta, on Nov. 11. JP/Rikcy Yudhistira
The steady increase in the number of passengers prompted the city administration to open four new corridors a year later. The city now has 10 corridors, with a total of 123.35 kilometers in service length. This year alone, up until September, a total of 84.57 million passengers have used Transjakarta.
The administration plans to operate a total of 15 corridors, managed under the Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit management body (BLU), a technical unit of the Jakarta Transportation Agency. On the operational front, BLU currently collaborates with eight operators, including PT Jakarta Express Trans, PT Jakarta Trans Metropolitan, PT Jakarta Mega Trans, and PT Eka Sari Lorena Transport.
But has the system really eased the traffic problems in the city? It seems not. Jakarta’s traffic is still as heavy, if not worse, than before.
Chairman of the Indonesia Transportation Society (MTI), Danang Parikesit, said Jakarta’s traffic problems would not be solved if the government were only to rely on Transjakarta buses, as they alone could not carry enough commuters throughout the Greater Jakarta area.
“If all the corridors were fully operational, it could only take a total of around 1.5 million people, while there were at least 20 million trips made in Greater Jakarta,” he told The Jakarta Post.
A mass rapid transit system that could connect Transjakarta and the Greater Jakarta commuter train network was the ideal answer for Jakarta, he said.
In the meantime, Danang said, Transjakarta needed to upgrade its service to encourage more people to switch to public transportation.
“Adding more fleets and improving the quality of the service would immediately increase the number of Transjakarta passengers,” he said.
There are currently 524 buses in operation, and the administration is planning to add 180 new buses over the next two years.
To help passengers living in Jakarta’s suburbs to access Transjakarta, the city launched the feeder bus system on Sept 28. It operates along three routes: Route 1 connects the West Jakarta Municipal Office and Daan Mogot; Route 2 connects Tanah Abang and Merdeka Selatan; and Route 3 connects the SCBD business district and Senayan.
The administration will open four more feeder routes by the end of the year.
Besides adding more buses, Danang also said the administration should find effective ways to completely secure the bus lanes from private vehicles to cut extended wait times at shelters.
The clearing of private cars from bus lanes during peak hours is still ineffective, with police maintaining that a lack of personnel makes it hard to secure the bus lanes.
The administration’s latest plan is to build new and larger barriers. These will be 50 centimeters in height, taller than the current concrete 15-centimeter separators.
It will need an investment of Rp 85 billion (US$9.69 million) to build several moveable concrete barriers, which are planned for installation along Transjakarta’s 10 routes, starting next year.
The new barriers are also expected to be able to reduce the number of accidents.
According to the Transportation Agency, from January until October this year, 16 people died and 85 people were injured in accidents involving Transjakarta buses.
In 2010, 461 accidents resulting in 16 fatalities were recorded, while in 2009, 303 accidents occurred, costing 13 lives. Most accidents took place in the exclusive bus lanes, according to the agency.
To reduce the number of accidents, BLU also said that it would evaluate the training procedures for Transjakarta drivers and the supervision conducted by operators, as well as determine sanctions for drivers who violated the minimum safety standards.
