T

he Jakarta Transportation Agency will open a tender to procure 420 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses for the Transjakarta Management Authority (BLU).

'The tender is scheduled to open in May,' agency head Udar Pristono told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, declining to reveal the exact date.

He did say that the auction would remain open for 45 days, and that the Rp 1 trillion (US$103 million) had been set aside to fund the purchase, an average of only quarter of a million dollars per vehicle.

The Development Institute for Technology Application (BPPT) will define the technical specifications of both the regular and articulated buses.

Transjakarta needs buses with highest specifications because they will be expected to operate nonstop, all day long. This may determine the exact number of buses which can be obtained with the available budget.

The new buses will be maintained and operated by BLU.

Ahmad Firdaus, a daily commuter on corridor 9 serving Pluit in North Jakarta and Pinang Ranti in East Jakarta, is delighted with the plan to increase the number of Transjakarta buses.

'Sometimes I have to wait 20 to 30 minutes for a bus. After 6 p.m., the buses are almost always full, with even more people waiting at the bus shelter. More buses should cut my waiting time,' he said.

Andi Rizal, who commutes from Grogol in West Jakarta to Sarinah in Central Jakarta was late for work last week because he had to wait for the bus.

'I don't have a motorcycle or a car. I rely on public transportation, especially Transjakarta. I am happy to hear the plan for more buses.'

BLU chief Muhammad Akbar acknowledged complaints from commuters who had to wait too long for buses to arrive.

'Increasing the number of buses is the best way to cut the waiting time of passengers,' he said.

He went on to qualify his view saying that the biggest factor in the waiting time was the condition of the busway lanes, which were frequently illegally occupied by other vehicles.

'Keeping the lanes clear from unauthorized vehicles is the responsibility of Jakarta Traffic Police. It is an external factor that Transjakarta do nothing about,' he went on.

The bus boss suggested that the police should be more consistent in applying harsher sanctions against unauthorized drivers who enter the lanes. (JP/hrl)