Mikrotrans Fare Proposed at IDR 2,000 to Prevent Passenger Data Manipulation
The Chairman of the Jakarta City Transportation Council (DTKJ), Sugihardjo, has proposed that Mikrotrans services—the feeder minibuses operated by Transjakarta—should no longer be free of charge, but instead subject to a fare of Rp2,000.
“For short distances using Mikrotrans, the fare would be Rp2,000. We are proposing Rp2,000,” Sugihardjo stated at the Jakarta City Hall on Friday.
According to Sugihardjo, as long as the feeder service remains free, there is a possibility that recorded passenger numbers do not reflect the actual conditions. Therefore, the proposed fare aims to ensure more accurate passenger data and prevent potential manipulation of passenger statistics.
He explained that there are currently targets for both kilometres travelled and passenger numbers for Mikrotrans operations. He noted that under the free-of-charge system, if passenger targets are not met, there is a fear that data might be manipulated to ensure targets are achieved.
“In the contract between Transjakarta and the operators, there are targets for kilometres travelled and passenger numbers. In relation to this, during the free period, if the number of passengers is insufficient, an operator might think, ‘To prevent my payment from being cut, I will just tap in myself so the target is met’,” he said.
He believes that if every passenger is charged a Rp2,000 fare, such practices would become difficult to execute because every transaction must be paid, making the passenger data more realistic.
Sugihardjo also requested that the public should not immediately conclude that Mikrotrans ridership is declining if this policy is implemented.
“So, if Mikrotrans is charged Rp2,000 and the passenger data drops, then the data is truly dropping. But it does not mean passengers are decreasing; rather, previously there was excess data from passengers who were not actually travelling,” he explained.
In addition to proposing the new fare, Sugihardjo noted that the quality of Mikrotrans services needs to be improved. He admitted to receiving many public complaints, ranging from vehicles arriving in clusters—leading to long waiting times—to drivers speeding.
He stated that operators must not merely chase operational targets without considering service quality and passenger safety.
“I have told Transjakarta, do not let service quality suffer just to chase targets. Currently, there is only a transformation from chasing daily revenue to chasing kilometres, which is not right. This still requires supervision,” said Sugihardjo.
Nevertheless, he emphasised that the proposal for a Rp2,000 fare for Mikrotrans services is still under study by the DTKJ and has not yet become an official policy of the Jakarta Provincial Government.