Ministry of Transport Pushes for a More Modern Land Mobility Transformation

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - In a bid to support mobility across the ASEAN region, Muiz Thohir, Director of Road Transport at the Directorate General of Land Transport of the Ministry of Transport (Kementerian Perhubungan), reaffirmed a commitment to promoting the development of clean, smart, integrated, and sustainable public transport.

Muiz said that for many cities in the ASEAN region, the success of transforming transport sustainability is determined by the ability to provide a bus service system that is reliable, efficient, affordable, and inclusive for the public.

‘Therefore, we are committed to continue promoting the development of a public transport system that is oriented towards public service,’ Muiz explained.

Consequently, Kemenhub is continuing to strengthen the national public transport system, one of which is the development of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects with the World Bank in the Bandung Basin region (BRT Bandung Basin Metropolitan Area) and BRT in North Sumatra, covering Medan, Binjai, and Deli Serdang (Mebidang).

‘At present we are working with the World Bank to develop pilot BRT projects in North Sumatra and Bandung with dedicated lanes, stops, including the development of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to support operations,’ Muiz said.

These efforts are taken as steps to realise public transport that is increasingly reliable, integrated, and able to become the primary choice for the community.

The concepts developed for Bandung’s BRT and Medan’s are a collaboration between the central government and regional governments.

‘The central government will build the BRT infrastructure, while the provision of its means, including electric buses, will be the responsibility of the regional governments. So, that is a form of collaboration and shared commitment,’ he added.