Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Promises to Connect Two Adjacent but Disconnected Pedestrian Bridges on Rasuna Said

The existence of two adjacent but disconnected pedestrian bridges (JPO) on Jalan HR Rasuna Said in South Jakarta has drawn scrutiny from many quarters, as it is considered to force people to walk further. Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has now followed up on the fate of the two JPOs.

Commuters from the TransJakarta bus stop complained about having to ascend the JPO connected to the LRT Rasuna Said station just to descend to the pavement. This was lamented because JPO users must walk a longer distance. In fact, there is an older JPO positioned very close to the access ramp between the TransJakarta stop and the LRT Rasuna Said Station. The uploader of a viral social media video questioned why the JPO was not connected to the ramp to shorten the journey.

Siti Dinarwenny, Head of the Data and Information Centre for the DKI Jakarta Highways Department, explained that the older JPO is a crossing facility owned by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government. Meanwhile, the JPO right next to it is an integrated JPO built by LRT Jabodebek as part of the transfer facilities for commuters from LRT Jabodebek Station and the TransJakarta stop. “Before the TransJakarta stop was relocated under the LRT Jabodebek Integrated Station, the existing JPO also provided direct access to the stop. However, after the stop was moved, access to the stop is now via the integrated JPO built by LRT Jabodebek,” Wenny said.

Wenny stated that the JPO integrated with the LRT station can also be used by the general public to cross the road. According to her, the integrated JPO has an unpaid area, so residents who do not use LRT or TransJakarta services can still utilise the facility. “The integrated JPO has an unpaid area so it can be used by the general public for crossing. This facility is equipped with a lift to facilitate access for the community, especially persons with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women, and other users who need easy access,” she said.

Upon direct observation, one of the JPOs is positioned right next to the JPO connected to the TransJakarta stop and LRT station. However, right in the middle of the JPO, a fence has been installed to block access to the TransJakarta stop, preventing users from crossing to the other side. At this closed-off point, it is also visible that the Rasuna Said JPO has a different height compared to the LRT Rasuna Said JPO, and there is a gap between the two structures.

The older JPO was built first and, besides serving as a crossing, also provided access for TransJakarta users to the Rasuna Said stop. However, since the construction of the LRT Rasuna Said Station, access from this JPO to the TransJakarta stop has been closed and diverted to use the LRT station’s JPO. The distance between the two JPOs is very close. The older JPO still functions for people who simply want to cross from the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections building to Plaza Festival or vice versa. To avoid confusion, the JPO is equipped with an information board hanging at the top of the stairway entrance.

TransJakarta users hope the two adjacent pedestrian bridges on Jalan Rasuna Said can be connected. They believe connecting the JPOs would shorten walking times when exiting the TransJakarta stop. One user, Anna, 22, said the current access route forces her to walk further and longer. She explained that the two separate JPOs mean TJ users must first go up to the integrated JPO at LRT Rasuna Said Station before finally being able to descend to the pavement. “It takes more time,” Anna said. She assessed that connecting the JPOs would effectively help public mobility. She also noted that some people often take the wrong JPO, thinking the two are connected. “Just connect them again, I think. Because if people don’t know this area, they’ll be confused, right? Like, they’ve already gone up there, thinking they’ve entered the TJ area, but it turns out they have to go around again, come up here to connect to TJ. So it’s just confusing,” Anna said. She added that connecting the JPOs would also ease congestion during peak hours, noting that the current access forces TJ and LRT users to share one JPO during rush hour.

Another TJ user, Fajar, also admitted to being confused when using the JPOs at Rasuna Said. He initially thought access to and from the TransJakarta stop could be via both JPOs. “It’s very confusing, because it’s my first time too. So, maybe for directions to here (Kuningan) and over there (Menteng), it’s quite confusing. Yes, maybe connecting them would be good to make things easier. So you don’t get tired going back and forth if you go the wrong way,” he said.

Governor Pramono Anung has promised to connect the two JPOs. “Regarding the JPO, I happened to be following the news and I just found out that they are not connected. So we will immediately decide to connect them,” Pramono said at the DKI Jakarta City Hall. He said technical discussions on connecting the two JPOs would be held in a meeting.