City considering a change in busway management

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