A

s of Sunday, Transjakarta began providing a 24-hour service to passengers traveling along three of its corridors '€” the Blok M-Kota route, Pinang Ranti-Pluit route and Kalideres-Pasar Baru route.

The public transportation system'€™s additional services were warmly welcomed by passengers, who said the additions had been long-awaited, due to the absence of cheap, safe and rapid transportation in the city at night.

Passengers said they hoped that the move would also be extended to other corridors.

David Tjahjana, the coordinator of a community of Transjakarta users known as Komunitas Suara Transjakarta, said that although only services on three corridors had been improved, he was pleased with the initiative as the capital city lacked adequate public transportation at night.

David said the three corridors were typically very crowded.

'€œCorridor I is the main route in the center of the city while corridors III and IX ease the journey for commuters returning home,'€ he told The Jakarta Post, referring to the three routes that have been extended.

Transjakarta head Pargaulan Butar Butar said 20 buses had been prepared for the night services.

'€œEach corridor will get six buses, while the other two will be used as reserves,'€ he said.

Pargaulan said not all bus stops along the corridors would be used during the night services.

'€œWe have chosen those that have a significant number of passengers and are close to crowded areas,'€ he said.

The bus stops that will be open on Corridor I are Blok M, Bundaran Senayan, Bendungan Hilir, Karet, Dukuh Atas 1, Tosari, Sarinah, Harmoni, Mangga Besar and Kota.

Bus stops that are remaining open at night on Corridor III are those at Sumber Waras, Grogol 1, Grogol 2, Central Park, Jelambar, Jembatan Gantung, Jembatan Baru, Rawa Buaya, Pesakih and Kalideres, while the ones remaining open along Corridor XI are PGC 2, Cawang UKI, BNN, Cawang Ciliwung, Pancoran, Tugu, Kuningan Barat, Jamsostek Gatot Subroto, Semanggi, Slipi Petamburan, Kemanggisan, RS Harapan Kita, Penjaringan and Pluit.

Pargaulan added there were no additional charges for night services.

Regarding security, Pargaulan said that Transjakarta management would not add more personnel. '€œWe just schedule the shifts of the workers [accordingly]. So, every station will have two workers '€” a clerk and a turnstile guard,'€ he said.

 Meanwhile, David said that Transjakarta management must pay particular attention to waiting times.

'€œWith only 18 buses for three corridors [...] the buses will not be 10 minutes [apart] but at least 30 minutes or even one hour,'€ he said.

PT KCJ, a subsidiary of state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI), has also implemented a new electric train schedule, following the construction of double tracks and the purchase of nine new trains. The increase in train trips is aimed at avoiding an accumulation of passengers at train stations.