City not serious about busway: Observers

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.