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Public transportation sees uptick in passengers after fuel price-hike
Amidst the fuel price-hike on Sept. 3, bus and MRT operators in Jakarta have seen a minor uptick in passenger numbers.
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Extended service: An electric TransJakarta bus stops at Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta on Friday. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
T
hese days, 32-year-old Rahman who regularly commutes from his apartment near Tanah Kusir to Sudirman, takes a combination of TransJakarta feeder buses and the MRT trains to go work.
While he can save money by using just the TransJakarta buses, he doesn’t mind the extra expense as he likes the MRT.
“It’s still much cheaper even with the MRT. With the current Pertalite price, I’d have to spend more than twice the amount of money if I drive to work everyday and that doesn’t include the monthly parking fees,” he said.
Amidst the fuel price-hike on Sept. 3, bus and MRT operators in Jakarta have seen a minor uptick in passenger numbers.
With improved coverage and levels of service, commuters argue that public transportation could be the solution to the fuel price-hike and that private vehicles aren’t really necessary anymore.
Speaking to The Jakarta Post via phone, TransJakarta corporate secretary Anang Rizkani Noor confirmed there has been a 5 percent increase in passenger numbers with the current numbers hovering at around 800,000.
“There are several factors [for this increase]. Firstly, the TransJakarta fare is still at Rp 3,500 [since 2012]. Secondly, we’ve restarted the 24-hour bus service to help commuters who work at night. Lastly, we’ve also reopened several routes that were canceled during the pandemic,” said Anang.
