T

he city administration has guaranteed Transjakarta bus passengers in Jakarta that they will enjoy a better service at an economy-class ticket price.

The Transjakarta Management Authority became a city-owned firm when the bylaw on the establishment of city-owned bus rapid transit operator PT Transjakarta was passed recently.

Before the bylaw, Transjakarta was managed by a unit under the auspices of the Jakarta Transportation Agency.

Governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo said on Wednesday that the city would not increase the price of a bus ticket.

'€œEven though a city-owned firm should be profitable we will put public service above company interest,'€ Jokowi told reporters without elaborating further.

He also declined to explain whether or not the city would provide subsidies to cover operational costs.

City Council speaker Ferrial Sofyan said that the council would fully support efforts to provide a better service without a ticket price increase '€” which since being set at Rp 3,500 (28 US cents) has not been increased since 2004.

Operational costs can amount to as much as Rp 1.3 trillion annually; the city provides around Rp 800 billion in subsidies and the remaining costs are covered by ticket sales.

'€œWe will wait for the appointment of the company'€™s board of directors and let them decide their needs. We can discuss subsidies later,'€ Ferrial said.

The newly-endorsed bylaw stipulates the city administration, as the majority shareholder, has the right to determine the standard of service and is obligated to subsidize the firm as PT Transjakarta has to offer tickets for economy-class prices.

The bylaw also states that the Jakarta governor has the authority to regulate the firm'€™s funding policy to ensure sustainability.

Transjakarta management unit chief Pargaulan Butar Butar said the Transjakarta bus network, which has 13 corridors, carried an average of 370,000 passengers daily.

Previously, Deputy Jakarta Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama said Transjakarta bus tickets would be free should the city budget reach Rp 100 trillion per year.

'€œWe target to reach Rp 100 trillion by 2016 or 2017,'€ he said.

More than 300 new buses will arrive from China this month to serve the netwrok'€™s busiest routes: Pinang Ranti-Pluit, Pulo Gadung-Harmoni and Blok M-Harmoni.