TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Terminal renovation brings disappointment

Deserted: The newly renovated Rawamangun bus terminal in East Jakarta has seen very low traffic because many drivers find the entrance to the terminal difficult to maneuver

Indra Budiari (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, April 7, 2015

Share This Article

Change Size

Terminal renovation brings disappointment

D

span class="inline inline-center">Deserted: The newly renovated Rawamangun bus terminal in East Jakarta has seen very low traffic because many drivers find the entrance to the terminal difficult to maneuver. Drivers choose to stop outside the terminal, leaving the terminal empty. JP/Indra Budiari

Despite having been reopened to the public after renovations, Rawamangun bus terminal in East Jakarta has drawn criticism from passengers and bus drivers who have seen no significant improvement in terms of convenience.

Indah Firdaus, a private company employer who was waiting for a bus to Padang, West Sumatra, said she had been standing for a long time in front of the terminal as most of the buses did not enter the facility.

She added that the state of the terminal'€™s toilets still resembled the poor conditions of the past, as they were dirty and had a very unpleasant smell, forcing her to go to the nearest minimarket to use the toilet.

'€œI thought the [terminal'€™s] condition would be better after the renovations. However, I don'€™t see any improvement besides a better looking construction,'€ Indah told The Jakarta Post recently.

In August 2014, the city administration started to renovate Rawamangun bus terminal, a plan that cost Rp 47 billion (US$3.63 million) in city funds. A five-story building was also built in the terminal with some of the floors slated to become an office for the East Jakarta Transportation Agency.

The renovation plan was part of the city'€™s plan to renovate four terminals in 2014 '€” Rawamangun, Pinang Ranti and Klender in East Jakarta and Muara Angke in North Jakarta '€” with a total budget allocation of Rp 119.5 billion.

Rawamangun terminal was officially opened to the public in March although some parts of the facility were not yet ready to be used.

The renovation of Rawamangun terminal was previously scheduled to be completed last December but, as of early this month, some construction workers were still making finishing touches, including painting the building.

Iqbal, another passenger, said he had difficulties in finding the bus ticket counters. After searching for a while, he was astonished to find that the ticket agencies operated in makeshift stalls alongside food vendors near the passenger waiting area.

'€œPreviously, I thought they were calo [ticket scalpers]. I hope by the time the construction is completed, the ticket agents will have a better place,'€ he said.

Meanwhile, bus drivers complained about the design of the terminal, saying a narrow entrance lane created difficulties when they were entering the terminal. They said the only way for them to enter the terminal was by driving backward for a few meters from the exit lane.

'€œThe entrance is very narrow. The terminal official should make it wider as soon as possible,'€ said an intercity intraprovincial bus driver who wished to remain anonymous.

City Transportation Agency deputy head Pargaulan Butar Butar said the agency was aware of the narrow entrance lane, but said that it could not be widened in the near future because it was located beside an old building belonging to the East Jakarta Transportation Agency.

'€œWe need to demolish the building to widen the lane, but we can'€™t do it right away. We have to wait for the Jakarta Financial Management Board [BPKD] to conduct an asset removal process of the building first,'€ he said.

Pargaulan said he was not sure when the building would be demolished, but emphasized that the agency would offer help to solve the problem as soon as possible.

'€œI am also certain that when we finish the construction, it will be able to provide a better service for the passengers,'€ he said.

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.