TheJakartaPost
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Expats prefer cars, taxis for safety, convenience
While many locals in Jakarta use public transportation for their daily activities, millions choose to commute using their private vehicles to avoid inconveniences such as pickpockets, waiting in line and jostling with other passengers
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hile many locals in Jakarta use public transportation for their daily activities, millions choose to commute using their private vehicles to avoid inconveniences such as pickpockets, waiting in line and jostling with other passengers.
It seems that such inconveniences have also discouraged many expatriates from boarding Transjakarta buses, Kopaja and Metro Mini public minibuses, angkot (public minivans), electric trains (KRL) and other forms of mass transportation in the city.
For example, German expatriate Gerald Schmidt, who lives in Grogol, West Jakarta, said that he drove to his office in Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD), South Jakarta, because it was more convenient.
'When I lived in Bangkok I always commuted using public transportation, like the Skytrain and the MRT [Metropolitan Rapid Transit],' Schmidt told The Jakarta Post after a public lecture organized by the Indonesian Heritage Society at Erasmus Huis in South Jakarta on Tuesday evening.
The Skytrain is an elevated rapid transit system in Bangkok that started operation in 1999 with two lines and 34 stations across Bangkok. Meanwhile, Bangkok's MRT is an underground system that opened in 2004 and serves the city's metropolitan area with 18 stations.
'In terms of mass public transportation, Jakarta is less developed. Therefore I would prefer to use a private vehicle because it's much easier and much more convenient,' Schmidt said.
Schmidt said that he supported Jakarta's MRT construction project and would consider using it. 'It's a good pilot project [to improve mass public transportation in Jakarta]. However it will take about 20 years for all the routes to operate,' he said.
Meanwhile, Glenn Bruce, an expatriate who works at an NGO headquartered in Kebayoran, South Jakarta, said that although he commuted using public transportation, it could still use many improvements.
'The Transjakarta buses are good value for money. You just pay Rp 3,500 [29 US cents] and you can go anywhere ['¦] however, the maintenance is so poor,' Bruce told the Post during the same event.
He cited that while buses serving the Corridor 1 route from Kota in West Jakarta to Blok M in South Jakarta were mostly new and still in good condition, buses serving Corridor 6 from Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta to Ragunan in South Jakarta were in poor condition.
Bruce added that he was skeptical about the ongoing MRT project and commented that the first phase of the South-North MRT route, which ran from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta, overlapped the Transjakarta routes.
'Of course it won't [be helpful]. [...] Transjakarta passengers will continue using Transjakarta ['¦] and those with private vehicles will continue to use their private vehicles ['¦] it won't solve traffic problems in Jakarta because the number of private vehicles will not stop increasing,' he said.
Meanwhile, Australian expatriate Colleen McPhillips said that she was reluctant to use public transportation in Jakarta because it was risky and she preferred to use a taxi instead. Fortunately her office also provided her with a private driver.
'My friend was pickpocketed on a Kopaja recently. It's just too risky,' she said.
