[sustran] Poor planning and graft pose threat to new Jakarta busway

[Dharm Guruswamy]

            JULY 14, 2004
            Poor planning and graft pose threat to new Jakarta busway 
            Lack of supporting facilities makes it unattractive to car owners while management's integrity is in doubt 

            By Devi Asmarani 

            JAKARTA - In operation for just six months, Jakarta's public bus system has already proven to be the most reliable and comfortable means of getting around the congested capital.

            But its sustainability is in question: most commuters are still unwilling to leave their cars at home and the busway's management is allegedly fraught with graft.

            Observers are worried that - like other ambitious, multi-million-dollar government projects in the capital - the system will eventually wither from mismanagement and a lack of funds.

            The busway system is one of several controversial policies that Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso has implemented. Others include the eviction of illegal squatters from slums.

            Analysts say these policies - seen as insensitive to public opinion - have hurt President Megawati Sukarnoputri's popularity in Jakarta. Her PDI-P party was behind the Governor's re-election two years ago.

            The 250-billion-rupiah (S$48.5-million) Trans-Jakarta Busway system is the first phase of a seven-year project to build a mass transportation system that includes a monorail and subway.

            Fifty-six specially built buses, each with a capacity of 85 passengers, ply the 12.9km route that runs from the bus terminal in the popular Blok M shopping complex to the bustling Chinatown area.

            The buses travel along dedicated bus lanes, which reduces travel times. Around 51,000 people use them daily.

            The system was especially helpful during the campaigning leading up to April's legislative election, when up to 65,000 people a day used it to avoid the massive jams caused by street parades.

            However, a study by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency this year showed that only 14 per cent of car owners have switched to using the busway.

            State-owned Trans-Jakarta has recorded 18 billion rupiah in revenue since the busway's launch, an amount it says is still dwarfed by monthly operating costs exceeding 3 billion rupiah.

            'With the current bus fare of 2,500 rupiah per trip, we are still heavily subsidised by the city budget,' said company spokesman Ajar Aedi.

            'But the purpose is to provide a service that is affordable for everyone, so we can't stress too much on the business side for now.'

            The Jakarta city administration is planning two more routes for the busway system.

            But public policy analyst Agus Pambagio said the system was poorly managed and prone to corruption.

            The cost of bus procurement and bus shelter construction may have been falsely marked up, he said, and the ticketing system is also not transparent enough, making it prone to irregularities.

            Most car owners are also reluctant to take the bus because of a lack of good supporting facilities, said Mr Agus. Feeder buses serving routes not covered by the Trans-Jakarta buses are in a decrepit state.

            The city's pavements are also in need of repair and there are no parking facilities for car owners who want to take the bus.

            'To encourage people to take the bus, the government must do more than just buy buses,' said Mr Agus.

            'There must be supporting facilities as well as integrated traffic and car ownership policies. Right now, there is no long-term initiative other than to finish the projects.'


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