TRANS JAKARTA (BUS WAY)
Jakarta’s
busway: A story
of missed opportunities
of missed opportunities
Andre Sinaga, Jakarta | Opinion
Yet
another fire on a Transjakarta bus last Saturday, June 2, only served to
highlight the deficiencies that remain in Jakarta’s rapid bus service, commonly
known as the “busway”. No one was hurt when the bus caught fire near the Hotel
Indonesia traffic circle but it is symbolic of what the busway has become: A
story of missed opportunities.
Theoretically,
Jakarta’s busway network was an excellent idea in the effort to reduce traffic
congestion in the city. The inefficiency, poor quality and unattractiveness of
public buses in Jakarta is certainly one cause of the high number of private
cars on Jakarta’s roads.
Hence,
creating a dedicated lane to rapid, air-conditioned buses was thought to reduce
traffic congestion by drawing commuters away from their cars and onto the
busway.
In
practice however, the busway — launched for the first time on Jan. 15, 2004 —
has failed to significantly reduce Jakarta’s traffic congestion. Rather, it has
contributed to further congestion by taking up an entire lane on the road.
This
would be fine if buses were constantly using the lane but the presence of a
Transjakarta bus is so rare that people are often surprised when one speeds
past. Furthermore, the complex and intricate roads of Jakarta mean that many
busway lanes are awkwardly rechanneled back into the main road, causing further
congestion and slowing down the supposedly rapid nature of
the
busway.
Detailed
analysis of Transjakarta routes also highlights further issues. Corridor 8, the
route going north through Pondok Indah and past the Gandaria City mall, is not
connected to Corridor 1, the route passing through the central business
district Sudirman-Thamrin.
Since
the central business district is the destination for a considerable portion of
commuters and a great deal of commuters also reside in South Jakarta, it begs
the question why Corridors 8 and 1 are not connected.
In
addition, the safety of Transjakarta buses is highly questionable. An official
in an article by The Jakarta Post on Monday, June 4, 2012, noted that 10
Transjakarta buses had caught fire in less than a year. This is certainly a
factor discouraging users from the busway. It also damages the reputation of
this city.
The
busway could have been a symbol of a modern Jakarta, a city that now has an
effective public bus service like other cities in developed countries. Rather,
incidents such as the fire that occurred near the Hotel Indonesia traffic
circle — one of the most iconic areas of Jakarta — only show how far Jakarta is
from being a truly modern city to many people.
Most
importantly, however, the lack of coordination between various public bus
companies in Jakarta negates any advantage the busway might have. Despite the
fact that an entire lane is dedicated for the busway, other public buses still
occupy the main road.
This
is nonsensical. Slow and cumbersome public buses, which stop to pick up and
drop off passengers anywhere and at anytime are a significant factor to traffic
congestion. For the busway to have been effective, public buses serving the
same routes as Transjakarta buses should have been reassigned to other areas or
retired.
This
ensures that passengers are filtered into using the busway as well as reducing
traffic congestion on the road. As can be seen by the vast presence of public
buses clogging up the main road however, this has not occurred.
Hence,
the first of several reforms required to create a more effective busway is for
Transjakarta to coordinate with other public bus companies. Discussions and
firm decision of the Jakarta administration should occur with the aim of
reassigning non-Transjakarta buses away from busway routes. This is especially
pertinent in areas where passengers without access to the busway are boarding
buses that have the same destination as the busway.
Instead,
these non-Transjakarta buses should carry their passengers to the nearest
busway station. This optimizes the public bus system in Jakarta by making it
much more efficient, helping to reduce congestion. One possible scenario is
non-Transjakarta buses ferrying passengers from the unconnected Corridor 8 to
Corridor 1.
Political
barriers are present in the above suggestion. Job losses will admittedly occur
as redundant non-Transjakarta buses are retired from service. Compromise and
negotiations must therefore occur to achieve an optimum result that minimizes
job losses while also increasing efficiency.
Moreover,
it is unclear if an authority exists that can reassign routes for public buses
in Jakarta. If none exists, one should be made. Public buses serve the public
in such a way that is non-exclusive as they occupy public roads and hence a
government body that specifically organizes Jakarta’s public bus system is
necessary.
The
busway must increase its frequency in order to be truly rapid. This will be
beneficial to passengers and will serve as a justification for allocating an
entire lane to the busway. In order to be rapid, however, busway lanes must be
reconsidered in places where the lane is reintroduced into the main road.
Often, this causes a bottleneck and congestion and thus the busway route must
be redesigned to avoid this.
The
safety of Transjakarta buses must also be raised to avoid embarrassing fire
incidents. This will increase the attractiveness of the busway, helping to
increase passenger numbers, which will in turn increase the rapidity of the
busway. It will also improve the tarnished image of Jakarta as a modern city
through an effective and highly desirable public bus system.
Several
other suggestions on how to improve the busway exist. The idea of a busway is
fantastic and could potentially play a major role in reducing traffic congestion
in Jakarta for good. Officials and authorities must act now to prevent the
busway from continuing its sad tale of missed opportunities.
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