Public Transportation in Jakarta Attracts Foreign Tourists

Although it needs to continue to be improved, public transportation services in Jakarta are attractive to local residents and foreign tourists.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

The crew of the Whoosh high-speed train greeted passengers who were about to board the train at the Whoosh Halim High-Speed Train Station in Jakarta on Friday (2/9/2024).

DKI Jakarta has a great opportunity to strengthen its position as a global city amidst various challenges faced. Jakarta has the advantage of having international-standard infrastructure availability as well as diverse public transportation options that attract users, both locals and foreign tourists.

Although there are several issues that need to be addressed, it cannot be denied that public transportation in Jakarta has developed far more compared to other regions in Indonesia. This not only provides an impressive experience for Jakarta and its surrounding residents, but also for tourists who come to Jakarta. Like Jason, a YouTuber from England, who was amazed by the public transportation in Indonesia.

The owner of Jason Travel's YouTube channel uploaded a video of his first experience riding the Whoosh high-speed train from Halim Station in Jakarta to Tegalluar Station in Bandung on Tuesday (12/3/2024). The video is titled "FIRST CLASS on Jakarta's High-Speed Train (Not What I Expected!)" and has been viewed 624,000 times.

Quoted from an upload on his YouTube account which has 224,000 followers, Jason said that Whoosh is super luxurious and modern, both in the main, business and premium economy classes. Likewise, the station is very clean and modern.

"This train has a maximum speed of 350km per hour, which is truly impressive. However, you will not feel like you are traveling that fast while inside the train carriage," he said.

KOMPAS/LARASWATI ARIADNE ANWAR

Whoosh, the Jakarta-Bandung fast train, photographed at Tegalluar Station, West Java, Monday (25/9/2023).

Jason stated that a journey that used to take three hours and can now be cut down to 40 minutes is an extraordinary improvement in travel time.

"Even though the trip is only 40 minutes, I still received a box of snacks containing bread, apple juice, and water. I highly recommend trying this fast train," she said.

Not only Jason, but the condition of electric train stations and trains (KRL) in Jakarta also amazed an American Youtuber named Evan. In a video upload on the ThatEvanGuy Youtube channel entitled "I CAN'T Believe Jakarta, Indonesia's Infrastructure (USA Jealous)," Evan shared his experience riding the KRL in Jakarta for the first time on Wednesday (24/4/2024) and has already been viewed 549,601 times.

Also read: Electricity-Based Transportation Ecosystem in Jabodetabek Expanded

Evan, who has 814 followers on his YouTube account, departed from Sawah Besar Station to Cikini Station. He intended to go to eat gado-gado and other Indonesian foods.

“I could actually just take an online motorbike taxi. "However, I am more interested in seeing how public transportation is like here (Jakarta)," said Evan.

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

Residents walk at Tanah Abang Station, Jakarta, Friday (26/4/2024).

Upon setting foot at Sawah Besar Station, Evan was immediately amazed by the station's cleanliness. According to him, Sawah Besar Station is much cleaner than in New York, United States.

Evan also highlighted that the condition of the floor on the stairs at Sawah Besar Station was also quite clean. Because, there are many people who throw chewing gum carelessly at subway stations in New York.

In addition, he was also impressed because the platform area was free from rats. "If you go to a station in New York, you have to be careful because there are many feces, and there are rats too," said Evan.

Also read: Jakarta is a Global City, between the Certainty of the Economic Engine and Agglomeration Issues

Based on his experience riding the New York subway, there were many homeless people on the train. He was also curious about the condition of the KRL in Jakarta. When the train series arrived, he was again impressed by the clean condition of the KRL and the many children who took the public transportation.

“It doesn't smell like New York and it's quite clean. There are not just homeless people. This cool. There are many people of all ages here. "You won't see kids on the New York subway," Evan said.

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

A number of residents use cellphones while waiting for the commuter train to depart from Tanah Abang Station, Jakarta, Friday (26/4/2024).

Evan was also impressed by a man who gave up his seat for a woman on the commuter train. According to him, such a culture is very eye-opening.

Apart from praising the well-maintained condition of the station, Evan also said that the public toilets at Sawah Besar station were cleaner than in his home country. Upon arrival at Cikini Station, Evan gave a rating 9 out of 10 for his experience of traveling using KRL for the first time in Jakarta.

A West Jakarta resident who has lived in New York for three years, Chyntia Ariana (28), agrees with Evan. According to him, the subway stations in New York are very dirty and dirty. Moreover, there is often an unpleasant smell in the station area.

Also read: Transjakarta, 20 Years of Building a Culture of Public Transportation

"Only the large stations, in my opinion, are clean. The security there is also inadequate. In fact, there was once a tragedy of shooting and murder at a station," he said on Saturday (5/4/2024).

Chyntia said that the New York subway also has a priority seat system. However, US citizens tend to be indifferent and most are not senior citizens who use these chairs. In fact, he once offered a seat to an elderly resident, but was rejected with a sour face.

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

Passengers chat on the MRT train at Lebak Bulus MRT Station, South Jakarta, Friday (19/4/2024).

Nevertheless, there is one thing that impresses Chyntia about the train system there, which she believes can be implemented in Jakarta. In New York, access to information is made very easy, including train departure times and delays.

"There, prospective passengers can see the subway delays directly via the monitor or Apple Maps/Google Maps. "This kind of information system can be accessed for the Jabodetabek KRL," he continued.

Not everything is integrated yet

Even though public transportation services in Jakarta have received much praise, on the other hand, the interest of Jakarta's population in using public transportation modes is still minimal. This is due to the lack of integration between public transportation modes in DKI Jakarta and surrounding areas.

Prayoga (25), a resident of South Jakarta, is still accustomed to using a private vehicle for his daily activities, such as work. However, it is not without reason that he prefers to use a motorcycle instead of public transportation.

Much of the transportation in Jakarta is now integrated and is able to reach 95 percent of the DKI Jakarta area.

There are several reasons why Yoga still chooses to use private vehicles. First, the distance from his home to workplace is quite far and public transportation access around his office is still difficult. Second, his job requires him to not stay in the office, so it is more efficient to use a motorcycle.

If calculated, Yoga's expenses are still more economical using a motorbike than using public transportation.

KOMPAS/ATIEK ISHLAHIYAH AL HAMASY

Passengers pose at Rasuna Said LRT Station, South Jakarta, Thursday (4/1/2024).

According to data from the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency, motorcycle users still dominate in Jakarta. Out of 88 million daily trips, motorcycle usage reaches 68.3 percent. Meanwhile, the use of public transportation is still around 18.45 percent. This inequality creates traffic problems, especially congestion.

Jakarta's transformation towards a global city does not solely depend on the economic sector, but also on supporting infrastructure. World-class infrastructure development, such as efficient transportation, is a priority to improve connectivity and mobility in Jakarta.

Transportation and law observer Budiyanto assesses that the public transportation system in DKI Jakarta is relatively good in terms of both quantitative and qualitative aspects.

"Transportation in Jakarta now has many integrated options and is capable of reaching 95 percent of the DKI Jakarta area," said Budiyanto.

With progress in the field of transportation, it is hoped that people will be able to reduce the use of private vehicles and switch to using public transportation. Apart from that, public transportation ticket prices in Jakarta are considered relatively affordable.

However, on the other hand, according to Budiyanto, there are still things that need to be improved to make public transportation in Jakarta a choice for the community. Transportation access in the buffer zone is considered necessary to be added to facilitate access to Jakarta without using private vehicles.

KOMPAS/ATIEK ISHLAHIYAH AL HAMASY

Condition of the Jabodebek LRT train connecting Harjamukti-Dukuh Atas on Thursday (4/1/2024).

According to him, changing the mindset of the community to switch to using public transportation is a task for the government as a policy maker. The government must also not neglect the safety, comfort, and security of public transportation users.

Regarding the poor air quality in Jakarta, Budiyanto stated that it is time for the government and stakeholders to accelerate the procurement of electric-powered public transportation in the Jabodetabek area. There must be room for socialization and sufficient budget to replace conventional public transportation with electric-powered transportation, given the high cost of electric-powered mass transportation.

Development in terms of infrastructure, transportation and urban development will be carried out to prepare Jakarta as a global city.

Meanwhile, Nirwono Joga, the Executive Director of the Urban Study Center, believes that in efforts to encourage people to switch from private vehicles to public transportation, it is not only sufficient to add more fleets, but also to optimize supporting facilities. For example, the construction of pedestrian-friendly sidewalks.

Unfortunately, the development of sidewalks in Jakarta does not yet have clear guidelines. The guidelines referred to are the master plan for pedestrian facilities that are outlined in regional regulations. This is important as a benchmark for development.

KOMPAS/ATIEK ISHLAHIYAH AL HAMASY

Passengers get off the Transjakarta Bus at Palmerah Bus Stop, Central Jakarta, Saturday (20/4/2024).

Nirwono believes that so far, the government has not had a clear understanding of sidewalk development. Everything is still based on proposals from each district office in every city.

"It should be the sub-departments that have to follow the rules of the provincial government, not the other way around," he said (Kompas.id, 15/3/2024).

In building public facilities, such as sidewalks, bus stops, and pedestrian bridges, according to Nirwono, it must be based on one main vision, which is to facilitate residents' access to public transportation or for the development of the area.

Acting Governor of Jakarta, Heru Budi Hartono, believes that Jakarta is easier to improve, especially when government activities move to the National Capital Region (IKN).

According to Heru, many buildings are no longer used after government activities move out and can be used for the development of Jakarta, such as being utilized for the development of transit-oriented areas (TOD).

FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

Residents charge their devices at one of the solar-powered electricity stations in the Dukuh Atas transit oriented development (TOD) area, Central Jakarta, Friday (11/11/2022).

Heru sees that TOD area development needs to be carried out. Because infrastructure supporting public transportation becomes important when becoming a global city.

"Development in terms of infrastructure, transportation and urban development will be carried out to prepare Jakarta as a global city," said Heru.