Serang Tests Electric Buses, Says Angkot Drivers Have Yet to Object
The Serang City Government is trialling electric buses, with services targeted to begin operating in 2027. The city says there has so far been no opposition from angkot drivers in Serang.
“Not yet. Thankfully, there has been no unrest. Hopefully, the whole community will accept it,” Serang City Transport Agency head Diat Hermawan said on Thursday (22 October 2026).
Diat said the city government would involve all parties, including angkot drivers, in its policy on operating the electric buses.
“They may already have been involved, because all transport stakeholders will certainly be included,” he said.
He said the operating model for electric buses run by DAMRI differed from that of angkot. Angkot, he said, were more flexible and could drop passengers off at various locations.
“They serve different markets and have different operators. Buses don’t pick up and drop off passengers just anywhere. They operate via bus stops, with designated starting and finishing points,” he said.
Angkot could also serve as feeders for the electric buses, allowing passengers to continue their journeys to other areas by angkot.
“So passengers can get off the bus at a stop and continue by angkot,” he said.
The Serang City Government previously held a trial of electric buses in the city. The service is targeted to begin operating in 2027.
The trial ran from 19 to 23 October 2026, from 6am to 5pm Western Indonesian Time. Two routes were tested.
Corridor I runs from Pakupatan Terminal to UNSERA, using one full-sized bus. Corridor III runs from Visenda Housing Estate to UIN Banten, using one HiAce-style minibus.
The city government aims to have all public transport corridors operating by 2027. Ahead of the planned launch, Serang Mayor Budi Rustandi and the Transport Agency will draw up a draft mayoral regulation.
The regulation will designate orderly passenger pick-up and drop-off points and set transport fares.
Budi said ticket prices would be kept as low as possible so they did not burden the public, particularly students.
“We will draw up the mayoral regulation, and we will try to ensure fares are not too expensive, especially for schoolchildren,” he said on Tuesday (20 October 2026).