Whether by necessity or choice, for work or for play, public transportation has always been one of the more efficient ways to zip around Jakarta.
With the increasing popularity of weekend city tours, the appeal of visiting landmarks and tourist attractions using public transportation is stronger than ever, thanks to a combination of a seamless tap-and-go experience with a thorough route coverage.
Even so, navigating the different routes and options can be a daunting task, especially for first timers. Most of the time, an online guide is the best solution, such as GoTransit.
Initiated by the online on-demand service Gojek, the GoTransit feature is integrated into the Gojek app, allowing users to find the best routes to arrive at their destinations, with the option to order a GoRide for added convenience.
According to Stella Darmadi, Gojek’s head of global marketing for GoRide, the GoTransit service provides added convenience for Gojek users to plan their trip more efficiently on a single platform.
“We hope that the efficiency and convenience that GoTransit offers can further encourage the use of public transportation and make it more popular with the public, both for work and for traveling to tourist attractions,” she said.
Based on PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) internal data, GoTransit is the market leader in QR-based Commuter Line (KRL) ticket sales. After the collaboration between Gojek and PT KCI, QR-based ticket transactions for KRL grew by three times.
Andhika Permata, head of the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Office, expressed his appreciation for Gojek’s initiative as it had provided a new avenue of tourism within the city.
“As a melting pot for Indonesia’s diverse cultures, Jakarta offers a complete tour for tourists, including historical, marine, culinary, shopping, fashion, religion, architecture, parks, sports and cultural tours – all of which are available in Jakarta,” he said.
Andhika hoped that by making access to various destinations, including tourist attractions, easier, interest in traveling from foreign and domestic tourists, as well as people living in Jakarta, would increase.
“We also want to thank Gojek for its efforts in creating the GoTransit feature, which has led to an increase in the use of public transportation. Furthermore, this effort is also expected to contribute to our own efforts in educating the public to use public transportation more often, which will have a direct impact on the sustainability of a healthier and greener Jakarta."
Along with providing route suggestions, GoTransit enables users to buy tickets for the KRL, where it provides a QR code to be scanned at the destination station’s turnstiles.
PT KCI VP corporate secretary Anne Purba said that in contrast to weekdays, where passengers were mainly office workers, the commuter line on weekends was widely used for more casual trips, such as visiting tourist attractions, shopping centers and other places of note.
This phenomenon is reflected in internal KCI data on the volume of passengers at stations on the weekends. Bogor Station topped the list with an average 37,867 daily users on weekends in October.
Tanah Abang Station, which is located in the center of the largest textile wholesale outlet in Southeast Asia, had an average of 28,709 daily users on weekends in October.
"With the increasing number of transactions using the GoTransit application, we believe that with this collaboration, more and more commuter line users can travel in Greater Jakarta," Anne said.
Pracandha Adwitiyo, a representative of Jakarta Tour Guide, explained that it was now easier to travel using modes of public transportation, such as the KRL, in Jakarta.
“For example, people can visit the Kota Tua and China Town areas by getting off at Kota Station. If you want to enjoy the Jatinegara area, you can get off at Jatinegara Station and take a walk to Pasar Batu Akik and Pasar Jembatan Item.
“We believe that the existence of services such as GoTransit will make it easier for the community, as it removes any confusion about how to reach a tourist location, thanks to route recommendations.”
