City considering a change in busway management

The Jakarta administration is looking into the possibility of changing the status of the TransJakarta Busway Management to a city-run company.

"With this new status, the management would no longer have to depend on the subventions from the city budget that it currently receives as a non-structural institution in the city administration," Hari Sandjojo, the newly-appointed assistant to the Jakarta Secretary for Development Affairs, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Hari said that the management would continue to oversee busway operations in the city.

Besides the Blok M-Kota corridor, which has been operational since early this year, the administration plans to expand the busway network with the construction of new a corridor from Pulo Gebang in East Jakarta to Kalideres in West Jakarta, via the National Monument Park (Monas).

Jakarta plans to build a total of 14 busway corridors by 2010.

"But, the busway operating companies will have to depend on investors ready to procure the buses for the projects," Hari said.

TransJakarta Busway Management chairman Irzal Z. Djamal said earlier that the plan to change the status of the management board's status to that of a company would enable the management to raise money from private sector investors.

"This status would allow us to collaborate with the private sector, including carrying advertisements on our buses."

Irzal said on Friday that the management would launch new renewable tickets starting on Nov. 1.

Ticket would cost between Rp 25,000 (US$2.71) and Rp 125,000, he said. -- JP