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Jakarta-Bekasi travel time cut significantly with Transjabodetabek
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A Transjabodetabek Premium bus parks at Mega Bekasi City in Bekasi, West Java, during the trial operation on Thursday. (kompas.com/KOMPAS.com/Anggita Muslimah)
B
ekasi residents are now able to reach Jakarta faster by using Transjabodetabek Premium buses, the Greater Jakarta Transportation Agency (BPTJ) said during the first trial operation of the bus service on Thursday.
While previously Bekasi commuters have had to endure two hours battling through traffic jams on Cikampek toll road, the new buses can reach Jakarta within one hour.
The shorter travel time was made possible by dedicated bus lanes on Cikampek toll road and police escorts, BPTJ said.
“Initially, we aimed for a travel time of about one and half hours. However, with the dedicated lane, travel time has been cut to within one hour,” BPTJ head Bambang Prihartono said in a statement.
BPTJ is set to run a trial of Transjabodetabek Premium buses from Sept. 7 to 20 to service Bekasi residents traveling to and from Bekasi to the capital.
The buses, which are equipped with free wi-fi, reclining seats and phone charging ports, charged passengers Rp 15,000 (US$1.1) on Thursday and will charge Rp 20,000 for the remaining days of the trial.
As part of the trial, buses will make only three morning trips from Mega Mall, Bekasi, to Senayan, Central Jakarta, with buses departing between 5:45 a.m. and 6:30 a.m..
In the evening, buses will make three trips from Senayan to Mega Mall, departing from Senayan between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m..
Bambang added that BPTJ encouraged Bekasi residents to use public buses instead of private vehicle to ease traffic congestion around Cikampek. (cal/vny)
