[sustran] Re: ST: Jakarta's controversial new bus service hits theroad

[Lisa Peterson]

Dear all,

ITDP's full technical review of the TransJakarta busway is now available on
our website at 

www.itdp.org/read/transjakarta.pdf

The file is about 7MB.

All the best,
Lisa



Lisa Peterson

Communications Director
Institute for Transportation and Development Policy

Subscribe to Sustainable Transport: www.itdp.org

115 West 30th Street, Suite 1205
New York, NY 10001
Ph: 212-629-8001
Fax: 212-629-8033
e-mail: lpeterson at itdp.org


*-----Original Message-----
*From: sustran-discuss-bounces+lpeterson=itdp.org at list.jca.apc.org
*[mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+lpeterson=itdp.org at list.jca.apc.org] On
*Behalf Of whook at itdp.org
*Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2004 3:34 PM
*To: sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org; sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org
*Subject: [sustran] Re: ST: Jakarta's controversial new bus service hits
*theroad
*
*well, its a great thing that they went forward with this.
*
*of course many problems that have been being pointed out for more than one
*year have not yet been fixed, but now they see for themselves the problems.
*they are all easily fixable within one year or so.
*
*anyway, we will release our full technical review on our web site in a
*couple days.
*
*best
*walter
*
*Original Message:
*-----------------
*From: Barter, Paul paulbarter at nus.edu.sg
*Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 12:03:22 +0800
*To: sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org
*Subject: [sustran] ST: Jakarta's controversial new bus service hits the
*road
*
*
*Any views on this from sustran-discussers? Is it well done? Is it a
*completely public sector project? Will it be a winner and prove critics
*wrong? Will initial problems be given a chance to be ironed out?
*Paul
*----------------------
*
*Straits Times Interactive
*http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,230381,00.html?
*
*JAN 16, 2004
*Jakarta's controversial new bus service hits the road
*Hundreds jostle for free rides as traffic gets worse along route
*By Devi Asmarani
*STRAITS TIMES INDONESIA BUREAU
*
*JAKARTA - The city's controversial new busway system was launched
*yesterday by Governor Sutiyoso amid a barrage of criticism and concerns
*that it would worsen the already horrific traffic congestion in the
*capital.
*
*The 250 billion rupiah (S$50.3 million) Trans-Jakarta Busway system is
*the first of an ambitious seven-year project to put in place a mass
*transportation system.
*Included in the plans are a monorail and an MRT system.
*
*The aim is to build a comfortable and reliable public transport system
*to encourage commuters and city dwellers to leave their private cars at
*home.
*
*At the launch ceremony yesterday, the Indonesian capital's controversial
*governor said: 'Busway is the answer to our problems, but it is just the
*first part of a comprehensive plan to ease the traffic in Jakarta.'
*
*Fifty-six specially built buses, each of which has a capacity of 85
*passengers, began plying the 12.9km route which runs from the bus
*terminal in the popular Blok M shopping complex to the bustling
*Chinatown area.
*
*The buses pick up and drop off passengers at bus shelters on the central
*median strip.
*The service is free for the first two weeks. Hundreds of people swarmed
*many of the 20 bus shelters to try the air-conditioned buses.
*
*Chaos reigned at some of the bus shelters, with people jostling for free
*tickets.
*One passenger, Mrs Lena, said: 'It's definitely a lot more comfortable,
*although it costs twice as much as the bus I normally take.'
*
*The new buses take less than half the time taken by regular buses to
*travel that stretch of road, which sees some of the worst traffic
*congestion in the city.
*But the busway operation - which takes up the outermost lane of an
*already congested street - confirmed fears that it would worsen the
*traffic situation.
*
*Hundreds of buses now plying that route will no longer operate there
*from today, and many people fear that the busway system will not be able
*to cope with the load of some 50,000 people travelling the route every
*day.
*
*To make matters worse, the promised feeder service - supporting buses
*which are to serve routes not covered by the Trans-Jakarta buses - are
*not yet operational.
*Guests at yesterday's ceremony, which was followed by a trip on the new
*buses to Chinatown, included diplomats, businessmen and celebrities.
*But noticeably absent was Transport Minister Agum Gumelar and other
*Cabinet ministers who were invited to the event.
*
*Mr Agum had previously expressed his disapproval of the project, which
*he said was implemented hastily.
*
*Commenting on this, Mr Sutiyoso said: 'The central government did not
*even feel compelled in the least to participate in the development of
*the transportation infrastructure in this city, although they will enjoy
*its benefit.'
*
*Copyright @ 2003 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.
*
*Forwarded in the interests of education and research
*
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