Bogor residents now have a new route to Jakarta

JAKARTA. Bogor residents who commute to Jakarta daily now have a new route to the capital, with the launch of the fifth Transjakarta feeder service connecting Bogor to Rawamangun, East Jakarta.

“Today, we launched [the integrated bus network] service connecting Rawamangun and Bogor. I talked to a passenger who said she had shifted to the bus service from a private vehicle because the bus was convenient and the fare was affordable,” Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo said on Wednesday during the launch.

“The [feeder] buses will also be allowed to use Transjakarta-dedicated lanes, and the passengers are allowed to change to Transjakarta buses, without having to pay more. This kind of service is what many people need,” he said at an East Jakarta Transjakarta bus shelter after trying out one of the feeder buses.

The fare for the new service is set at Rp 12,000 (US$1.24) and includes transfers to Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit routes.

Since March last year, Jakarta has launched four feeder services that connect Pulogadung, East Jakarta, to Bekasi (15 buses); Poris Plawad, Tangerang, to Grogol, West Jakarta (10 buses); Ciputat, South Tangerang, to Kota, West Jakarta (eight buses); and Cibinong, Bogor regency, to Grogol (10 buses). The new route will be served by 10 buses.

“The routes are operated by private bus operators; [the city administration] doesn’t pay them nor provide subsidies. We only provide access to [Transjakarta] bus lanes,” the governor said, adding that the administration aimed to optimize the use of Transjakarta-dedicated lanes.

At the launch of the new feeder bus route, a number people from mass organizations denied entrance to the first buses when they arrived at the Bubulak bus station in Bogor.

M. Ishak, head of the Organization of Land Transportation Owners’ Bogor chapter, said those individuals were looking for opportunities to be part of the service.

“They were basically asking for jobs. We have negotiated with them and will see what positions are available based on their competence,” he told The Jakarta Post over the telephone. “We have settled the issue.”

Bubulak bus station head Ridwan said that it was “nothing serious”.

“We are happy to welcome the new service, which will help boost the number of passengers coming to Bubulak bus station,” he said.

Also on Wednesday, Jokowi launched an outdoor escalator at the Transjakarta Salemba Carolus shelter’s crossing bridge in Salemba, Central Jakarta.

The escalator was built by a private company, The Capitol Group, a holding company with businesses in property development, finance and technology, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program.

“The Capitol Group has built an outdoor escalator on its 114-square meter property, replacing the ramp, and has given it to the city administration. We call on other private businesses to participate in improving public services,” Jakarta Transportation Agency head Udar Pristono said during the launch.

Jokowi called on residents to participate in using and maintaining the new facility.

“We want to change people’s bad habits [...] maintaining such a facility is not easy. We will evaluate this after six months to see whether [the escalator] will be broken or not,” he said. “If the escalator remains in a good condition, we will consider adding more.”

PT Capitol Jakarta president director Jimmy Wijaya said the company had spent up to Rp 6 billion on building the escalator.

“We built the escalator in 11 months. We have given it to the city administration to operate and maintain,” Jimmy said. (Sita W. Dewi/The Jakarta Post)