Malioboro Traders Demand Free Shuttle Buses Ahead of Full Pedestrianisation

Traders at Teras Malioboro have called on the Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY) government to provide free shuttle transportation for tourists ahead of the implementation of a 24-hour full pedestrian zone in the Malioboro area at the end of November. A representative of the Teras Malioboro traders, Slamet Santoso, stated that their primary demand concerns tourist transport, an issue they have already raised with the regional government. “The transport issue I raised has not yet been met, nor has the infrastructure related to parking,” Slamet explained on Monday (6/7/2026). He noted that with the closure of the Abu Bakar Ali special parking area (TKP) and the ban on large buses parking at TKP Senopati, there is still no serious solution to accommodate tourists heading to Malioboro. “Until now, it has been inadequate. We are demanding that if the provincial government proceeds with the full pedestrianisation of Malioboro, please prepare the parking facilities first,” he said. Currently, he observed, only TKP Ngabean can practically accommodate large tourist buses, and its capacity is very limited. Moreover, Slamet considers the distance from TKP Ngabean to Malioboro to be too far. He insisted there must be a free shuttle service to facilitate tourists from bus parking points to Malioboro, so that visitors do not remove the destination from their travel plans. “I once observed tourists walking from Ngabean parking to Teras Malioboro. In fine weather, it is manageable, but during a heavy downpour, I felt sorry for them. With such a distance and in the rain, they just wanted to shop at Teras Malioboro,” Slamet said. “If this continues, it is not impossible that Teras Malioboro will eventually be abandoned by tourists because the access is too far and requires walking. The infrastructure I am demanding from the government must include a shuttle, at the very least, which should be prepared and free of charge,” he hoped. The DIY Regional Government is continuing to finalise preparations for the full pedestrianisation of Malioboro, which is targeted to be fully operational by the end of November 2026. Various schemes are being developed, including parking arrangements. Head of the DIY Transportation Agency (Dishub), Chrestina Erni Widyastuti, explained that the policy direction is not to increase parking lots within the core Malioboro zone. “Instead, we are strengthening the park and ride and park and walk concept,” Erni clarified on Friday (3/7/2026). “The paradigm we are building is ‘park once, experience more’, meaning visitors simply park their vehicles in the buffer zone, then continue their journey on foot, using TransJogja, traditional transport modes, or other environmentally friendly modes,” she continued. She added that her agency is focusing on developing parking capacity in lots outside the core Malioboro area. These parking lots will also be supported by a smart parking system. “Through this system, the public will be able to check real-time parking availability, obtain navigation to the nearest parking location, and utilise a digital payment system,” she explained. “This way, vehicles will not need to circle around looking for parking, which only adds to congestion and emissions,” Erni added. Furthermore, the Transportation Agency will strengthen the integration of TransJogja services to become the backbone of mobility to Malioboro. “This includes improving stop connectivity, ease of intermodal transfer, and service quality. Our target is not merely to provide more parking spaces, but to build a mobility system that is more efficient, comfortable, and sustainable,” she concluded.