TransJakarta: Putting on Lipstick While Running to Catch the Bus

Abstract

Jakarta, Indonesia built the world's longest bus rapid transit system in just 4 years. With such a rapid rollout, some problems were inevitable. This article discusses the TransJakarta system, its limitations, and what needs to be done to make it a world-class example of public transit. TransJakarta is now 97.35 kilometers and served 15 million passengers during its first year. About 208,000 passengers used TransJakarta per day between January to June 2008, which is up 29% from the same period in 2007. However, it still serves fewer passengers than systems one-fourth its size, and congestion continues to clog the streets. TransJakarta is regarded as a good public transportation system in terms of the facilities such as air-conditioning, prepaid boarding and affordable prices. However, passengers have expressed complaints, especially concerning long queues for passengers to board, lack of passenger information, insufficient bus frequency and the condition of the stations. Most of these issues result from design and operational problems. TransJakarta also must be better integrated with other transportation modes. Anticipating increased demand and recognizing the need to provide high quality mass transit, the operating agency is committed to expanding its infrastructure and improving service. A public education campaign is planned to attract new passengers by changing the often-negative perception about public transportation. The government is committed to TransJakarta as well, reflected in the allocation of $16.3 million to operate the three corridors that will open in October 2009. Expansion of TransJakarta, however, needs to be complemented by strong attention to the level of service provided by the system.

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