Bogor-airport bus route opens

BOGOR (JP): State-run land transportation company DAMRI started operating 10 shuttle buses linking Bogor to Soekarno- Hatta International Airport yesterday.

The route was created in a bid to meet the rising demand for direct transportation from Bogor to the airport in West Jakarta, DAMRI's finance director, Kuntoro, said.

"We hope we can raise our service to the public and contribute to the increase of economic activities of Bogor residents in both trade and tourism," he said.

The new buses ply a route from Bogor, along the Jagorawi toll road, the city toll road and the Sedyatmo toll road, to Soekarno- Hatta Airport. The buses depart 16 times a day at one-hour intervals.

Earlier DAMRI had opened six special routes from the airport to Kemayoran in Central Jakarta, to Blok M in South Jakarta, to Gambir Railway Station in Central Jakarta, to Rawamangun in East Jakarta, to Bekasi, and to Depok in East Jakarta.

Bogor Mayor Eddy Gunardi welcomed the service, saying that Bogor residents tended to be more mobile due to the rise in economic conditions and people's welfare.

"The operation of this Bogor-Soekarno-Hatta Airport route is the realization of a means of transportation. Another one is the Bogor-Tanjung Priok Seaport route, which started operating several years ago," he said.

He said that the new route was expected to highlight the function of Bogor as Jakarta's supporting city in the development of Greater Jakarta.

It was also hoped the route would bring more tourists to Bogor, he added.

"With the operation of the shuttle buses, tourists can easily go to Bogor, either from Tanjung Priok or from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport," he said.

Endang Tabroni, head of the Bogor Land Transportation Agency, said Bogor residents warmly welcomed the operation of the new route as was reflected by the many phone calls and letters he received.

"They admitted that they were forced to pay from Rp 75,000 (US$21.50) to Rp 100,000 for a taxi fare from the airport to Bogor," he said, adding that now they had to only pay Rp 7,000 for the bus fare.

DAMRI currently has a fleet of 1,627 buses operating in 62 cities throughout Indonesia. (04/24)