Shanghai subway network a good example
As one of Jakarta's sister cities, Shanghai, China -- with a total population of 13 million and an area of 6,341 square kilometers -- has similar problems. In a recent comparative study organized by the City Council, The Jakarta Post's Damar Harsanto was invited to visit Shanghai to learn how that city's officials deal with the problems. This is the first of three articles.
While Jakarta is still focusing on the development of another busway line and later a monorail line to deal with its chronic traffic, its sister city Shanghai has been able to manage its potential transportation problems.
Shanghai began operating its subway network -- as part of its mass rapid transit (MRT) system -- in 1995 to cater its population of 13 million.
Today, Shanghai has 36 subway lines connecting 48 stations citywide covering a distance of 65 kilometers. Another new line is under construction and is slated to be operational by the end of this year.
According to published reports, the Shanghai administration has promised to further expand the subway by 11 lines covering 400 kilometers by 2010.
To encourage its residents to use the subway, the Shanghai administration has also widened sidewalks for pedestrians and banned motorcycles and bicycles from major thoroughfares in downtown areas.
Those efforts have apparently been welcomed by the people as many now use the bustling subway system. They have an efficient vending machine ticketing system and most passengers spend less than five minutes in line, then catch the next of many passing trains and within a few more minutes are at their destination.
Compared to the subway system in relatively smaller cities like Singapore and Taipei, the one in Shanghai is very crowded, especially during peak hours. Nevertheless, it is less crowded than Jakarta's electric commuter trains and, of course, no passengers climbed atop the cars for a free ride.
The public's positive response to the subway was also due to its integrated system, which links other modes of transportation such as buses and taxis.
An expatriate working for a foreign company in Shanghai, Florence Lee, was very pleased with the convenient prepaid ticketing system, in which monthly passes can be used for the subway, buses and even taxis.
Lee said she only needed to swipe the debit card over the magnetic reading device to open the turnstiles in the subway station. The value on the card is automatically updated, she said.
"In that sense, Shanghai's transportation system is the most well-developed compared to other cities that I have visited, like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. In those two cities, passengers are required to have different tickets for different public transportation means," she told the Post.
In addition to the subway, Shanghai also has river transportation. Several boat taxis operate along the Huangpu River which divides the city into two: Pudong in the east and Puxi in the west.
However, the river transportation was initially established to cater to tourists, and not necessarily to tackle the bigger transportation problems. Boat taxi tickets can be from between US$12 and $15 per person.
Shanghai also has a high-tech Magnetic Levitation Vehicle (Maglev) speed train.
The train, which can top out at 430 kilometers per hour -- is still quite costly for an average commuter, and at present only travels runs along a 31-kilometer track between Shanghai's Long Yang station and Pudong International Airport.
The Maglev train has not, however, received a warm welcome from the residents because the cutting-edge technology means each ticket is priced at 40 Chinese yuan (US$4.8). A price that many Shanghai residents consider too high.
Local media reported that the construction of the Maglev train was fueled by a political rivalry between China and Taiwan, rather than concern for transportation issues. The media also has criticized the new train, because the schedule does not coincide very well with airline schedules at the airport.
Despite its weaknesses, Jakarta can learn some things from Shanghai. Its administration has a strong will and consistent policies, which put public interest first and they see that as the key to tackling transportation woes.
I-Box Between Shanghai and Jakarta in transportation
Shanghai Population: 13 million Area : 6,341 square kilometers River : Huangpu River Means of transportation:
Maglev trains, subways, buses, taxis, cars, boats,
motorcycles, bicycles Number of Vehicles:
600,000 cars, 789,000 motorcycles, 40,000 taxis,
3,000 buses, nine million bicycles
Jakarta Population : 8.6 million (Greater Jakarta: 18.6 million) Area : 661 square kilometers River : 13 rivers Means of Transportation:
Train, buses, taxis, cars, motorcycles, bicycles,
bajaj (three-wheeled motorized taxi) Number of Vehicles:
1.3 million passenger cars, 403,100 cargo vehicles,
2,000 buses, 2.6 million motorcycles, 23,000 taxis