Rano Karno Wants to Revive Trams in the Old Town

The Jakarta Provincial Government plans to revitalise the Old Town area. This historic district, a remnant of the Dutch colonial era in West Jakarta, will remain a low emission zone (LEZ). Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta, Rano Karno, stated that the revitalisation will not alter the Old Town’s designated function as a low emission area. Instead, they plan to introduce low-emission public transport within the zone. “There is one format that we might build, perhaps the term is a tram in the Old Town,” Rano said at the DKI City Hall in Central Jakarta on Thursday (9/4/2026). Rano noted that public transport of this kind was once available in Jakarta in the past. He even recalled riding a tram from the Harmoni area to Pasar Baru when he was eight years old. “Actually, trams can reduce emissions. That’s one of the things we are pursuing, but we must design it together with the MRT because that area will also become an MRT route,” Rano explained. LEZ is a form of restriction on motor vehicles in a specific area under certain conditions. The Old Town area was selected as a pilot LEZ in Jakarta starting from 8 February 2021. Additionally, since 2023, the Tebet Eco Park area has also been designated as a low emission zone. LEZ areas can only be used by certain groups, namely pedestrians, cyclists, public transport, and vehicles with special low-emission stickers. LEZ zones cannot be traversed by vehicles that do not meet the requirements. The purpose of LEZ is to support improvements in air quality in the capital, which can be influenced by the population of circulating vehicles. Furthermore, the public is expected to participate in reducing pollution by using public transport.