People living in residential areas in Greater Jakarta can now enjoy the services of JR Connexion buses, which will transport them to several hubs in the city.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi inaugurated on Tuesday the service, which aims to curb heavy traffic congestion in the capital.

The service targets upper-middle income residents who usually drive private vehicles from their houses outside Jakarta to their place of work in the capital. The residents will be able to use the bus service, leaving their cars at home.

Up to 150 buses will serve residents living in 21 residential areas in Bekasi, Bogor, Cibubur and Depok in West Java, Karawaci in Tangerang, as well as Serpong in South Tangerang.

The residential areas are Lippo Cikarang, Grand Wisata, Galaxy Residence and Summarecon in Bekasi, Citra Indah Jonggol, Bellanove and Botani Square in Bogor; Citra Grand Cibubur, Kota Wisata, Legenda Wisata, Puri Sriwesari, Cibubur Residence, Cibubur Country, Harvest City, Metland Transyogie and Kenari Nusantara in Cibubur; Pesona Khayangan in Depok; BSD City and Bintaro Jaya in Serpong and Lippo Village Karawaci and Citra Raya in Tangerang.

They will be transported to, among other places, Gambir, Pasar Baru and Ratu Plaza in Central Jakarta, Blok M and Sudirman in South Jakarta, Grogol in West Jakarta and Mangga Dua in North Jakarta.

To operate the system, the Greater Jakarta Transportation Agency (BPTJ) has cooperated with a number of property developers and bus operators. Six bus operators, including PT Alfaomega Sehati Mega (AO Shuttle), PT Sinar Jaya Langgeng Utama, PT Wahana Trans and PT Royal Wisata have supplied 100 buses to serve 13 residential areas.

“The fact is people want better transportation services, and this is a good start,” Budi said at the ITC Mangga Dua shopping center in North Jakarta. “Today’s transportation still lacks convenience. Pickpockets can still be found on a number of buses, and we shall address this problem,” he added.

BPTJ head Elly Adriani Sinaga said separately that the buses, each of which could transport up to 50 passengers, were equipped with seatbelts, air conditioners, internet and CCTV cameras.

Fares are Rp 20,000 (US$1.5) to Rp 25,000, Elly said, adding passengers will be able to pay electronically.

JR Connexion buses operate Monday to Friday from around 5 a.m. until around 9 p.m., while on Saturdays and Sundays, the buses will start operating at 6:30 a.m.

A number of buses owned by operator AO Shuttle will serve passengers every 15 to 30 minutes from Lippo Cikarang to Sudirman, and vice versa, with a fare of Rp 20,000.

Elly assured services would improve over time.

 “Many property developers have called us, saying that they are interested in joining this transportation scheme. The high demand for bus services is for sure good news for bus operators,” she told press briefing.

In the near future, BPTJ will operate on the high-occupancy vehicle lane, a restricted traffic lane reserved for peak travel times. “We are preparing the plan to shorten travel times,” Elly said.

The transportation scheme, she said, did not use state funds and was created through coordination between the government and private parties.

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