City not serious about busway: Observers

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Three months of operation since the busway was launched on Jan. 15, environmental and transportation observers continue to criticize the city administration and the busway management for not being serious in their efforts.

Andi Rahmah, a policy analyst at Pelangi, an environmental watchdog, told The Jakarta Post recently that there had been no improvements in busway services so far.

"The city administration promised to replace the manual ticketing system with an automatic one, but so far there has been no indication that they'll replace it any time soon," she said.

She added that the busway service -- which serves a 12- kilometer route connecting Blok M bus terminal, South, Jakarta and Kota station, West Jakarta -- had not been standardized. For example, she pointed out that busway schedules were not posted at shelters.

"If there was a bus schedule at each shelter, passengers would be able to arrange their schedules more easily and not waste time waiting for the buses.

"Besides, bus drivers need to have specific times to reach the shelters, otherwise they'll arrive late, especially at peak hours," Andi said.

Andi also complained about the incomplete feeder system.

Previously, TransJakarta Busway management head Irzal Djamal said feeder services would be operational after Feb. 1. Over two months later, however, the feeder services are not yet properly implemented.

Only several buses marked "feeder buses" were seen at the Blok M bus terminal, but neither conductors nor bus drivers were aware of the services feeder buses provided.

Many passengers are also confused about using feeder buses, particularly as to how they must switch from feeder buses to the busway. The feeder ticketing system is equally unclear to most.

Transportation expert Ahmad Safrudin gave a similar comment on the service.

"The feeder buses that exist now are not functioning as feeders, but more as connectors," said Ahmad.

For example, a bus plying the Pulogadung-Blok M route intersects the busway corridor at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle. As a feeder bus, however, it should transport passengers to a busway shelter or terminal instead of continuing on to Blok M.

"If the city administration wants the busway to be an effective means of mass transportation, the governor should have the courage to eliminate other buses that intersect busway routes or travel the same routes," Ahmad said.

He also criticized the Jakarta Administration for using the busway project to prove that the city was capable of creating a mass transportation system and for planning to abandon it as soon as other, bigger, systems were completed, such as a subway or monorail.

"I think the busway should be maintained and improved, not terminated, because we need it. Many residents have benefited from the busway system," he said.

Aside from the feeder services, Ahmad criticized the busway system's small capacity -- the fleet remains stagnant at 56 buses, although the administration had promised to expand it to 140 buses.