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Transjakarta to procure buses, repair depots
Newly formed city-owned bus operator PT Transjakarta held its first shareholders meeting on Tuesday, in which it committed to procuring more buses, revitalizing depots and integrating with other transportation
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ewly formed city-owned bus operator PT Transjakarta held its first shareholders meeting on Tuesday, in which it committed to procuring more buses, revitalizing depots and integrating with other transportation.
Transjakarta president director Antonius Nicholas Stefanus Kosasih said after the meeting at City Hall that although the operation of Transjakarta was still transitioning from the Transportation Agency to the company, the board of directors could start working.
'We can start procuring more buses, for example, if the funds are available from the revised city budget in the mid-year,' he said.
Antonius also said adding more buses was crucial as the current fleet were overcapacity.
Transjakarta has only 450 buses, 750 short of the estimated ideal number for Jakarta. Up to 350,000 people per day use Transjakarta.
The city administration has planned to procure an additional 1,000 buses this year, but Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama halted bus procurement after alleged graft committed by the Transportation Agency was revealed.
Antonius said the company would also revitalize depots, so the buses would be better maintained.
'We can also install auto workshops and a gas station [at the depots], so the buses do not have to queue at gas stations during rush hour,' he said.
The director further said the company sought by the end of the year to make the ticketing system fully electronic to ease integration with the PT KRL Commuter Jabotabek trains and the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), right now under construction. Kosasih said the shareholder's meeting also had decided to appoint Transportation Agency head Muhammad Akbar as commissioner.
'While studying the system, we understand that it is very important to communicate intensively with the Transportation Agency. Therefore, the appointment of Mr. Akbar is appropriate,' he said.
Ahok said that the city administration would also provide a subsidy to Transjakarta through a Public Service Obligation (PSO).
'The current ticket price, which is Rp 3,500 [30 US cents], will not cover the operational costs, so we will keep providing the subsidy,' he said, adding that it would also put up Rp 350 billion of the administration investment participation.
The administration, the owner of 99.35 percent of the company, provided initial capital of Rp 1.5 trillion ($130.5 million) while PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro), which owns a 0.65 percent share, fronted Rp 10 billion.
