Pulogebang Terminal Offers Cheap Lodging at 15,000 Rupiah per Night — Room Conditions Revealed

The Pulogebang Integrated Terminal, East Jakarta, offers cheap lodging at 15,000 rupiah for bus passengers. To rent this inexpensive accommodation, passengers must hold a bus ticket. The lodging is temporary, deliberately provided by the terminal authorities as a rest stop before continuing their journey. Daryanto, the Terminal Unit Commander, explained that passengers can use the facility whether they are alighting or boarding buses at Pulogebang. In addition to the 15,000 rupiah room rate, a 5,000 rupiah charge applies for bathroom facilities. Since it began operating, many travellers have made use of the terminal’s cheap lodging, usually when arriving late at night or while transiting to await their morning bus. ‘There are quite a few who come in late and then wait for the morning bus,’ said Daryanto. The lodging is situated on the third floor of the drivers’ rest building adjacent to the arrivals area. Male and female rooms are separated. The male room is equipped with a mattress on a foam mat without a pillow, while the female room has a bed and a pillow. The mattress is reasonably comfortable, fairly soft, clean, and well maintained. There are also power outlets in each room to recharge mobile phones. Nevertheless, transport analyst Ki Darmaningtyas of the Institute for Transport Studies (Instran) predicts that the number of people travelling home this year will fall. The reason is that the economy is sluggish, unlike previous years, causing households to cut back on budgets. Not only civil servants, but private-sector employees and even businesspeople are predicted to see a decline in the volume of homecomings in 2026. It is suspected that reduced business profits are part of the cause. ‘Similarly, private-sector workers will not see an uptick because their businesses are also experiencing a downturn,’ he said.