Buka tutup busway dilanjutkan

Gubernur Foke menilai pelaksanaan buka tutup busway atau Operasi Jala Jaya selama sebulan (12 November - 12 Desember) efektif dalam mengatasi kemacetan lalu lintas Ibukota.

Tiga koridor busway, koridor 8, 9 dan 10 (Lebakbulus-Harmoni, Pinangranti-Pluit, dan Cililitan-Tanjungpriok) baru akan beroperasi pada April 2008, sehinga jalur-jalurnya bisa diguakan oleh kendaraan lain.

Karenanya "saya minta Operasi Jala Raya diperpanjang, karena terbukti efektif melancarkan arus lintas di Ibukota," ungkap Fauzi Bowo hari ini saat ditemui wartawan di Balaikota. Operasi Jala Jaya merupakan salah satu cara untuk mengatur buka tutup jalur busway bagi kendaraan umum.

Mengenai separator busway yang sering membuat celaka pengguna jalan, Gubernur telah menegur pihak pengelola: "Separator dibangun bukan untuk mencelakakan, saya kira harus ada langkah untuk memperbaikinya.
Traffic Management Centre Polda Metro Jaya melaporkan hari ini saja terjadi enam kecelakaan akibat separator busway, semua terjadi di lokasi yang sama: di depan Hotel Sultan.
Separator lain yang dianggap membahayakan juga terdapat di depan Mal Artha Gading, Plumpang, Jl S. Parman dan di depan Polres Jakarta Barat.
more

Koridor IV-VII Mengkhawatirkan

Dishub Akan Bersikap Tegas terhadap Operator Penyedia Armada

Jakarta, Kompas - Realisasi proyek bus transjakarta dengan jalur khusus atau busway lanjutan untuk Koridor IV, V, VI, dan VII mengkhawatirkan. Berpijak pengalaman koridor sebelumnya, terdapat berbagai hambatan yang tidak teratasi dengan baik.

"Masalah yang paling utama, sesuai komitmen, adalah penyediaan armada bus transjakarta harus berbahan bakar gas. Padahal, suplai maupun kualitas bahan bakar gas masih menjadi persoalan pihak operator bus transjakarta," kata Ketua Dewan Transportasi Kota Jakarta Soetanto Soehodho, Jumat (11/8).

Selanjutnya, hambatan itu terletak pada konsistensi penyediaan jumlah armada setiap koridor. Soetanto mengatakan, jangan sampai infrastruktur Koridor IV, V, VI, dan VII nanti selesai dibangun, tetapi kesiapan 203 bus yang dibutuhkan itu tersendat.
Berkaca pada Koridor II dan III dengan operator dari konsorsium Transbatavia yang memiliki kewajiban menyediakan 126 armada bus, tetapi hingga kini hanya tersedia 63 bus dan akhir bulan nanti diperkirakan bertambah lima armada bus lagi. "Sebelum melangkah pada koridor berikutnya, seharusnya ada monitor dan evaluasi pada koridor yang sudah ada," kata Soetanto.

Kelemahan pada ketersediaan armada bus disebabkan penunjukan anggota konsorsium yang terbatas pada perusahaan penyedia angkutan umum yang berimpitan dengan jalur bus transjakarta. Menurut Soetanto, ke depan perlu dibuka peluang bagi investor yang benar-benar mampu secara konsisten memenuhi kewajibannya.
"Investor dari perusahaan taksi, misalnya. Perusahaan itu juga mungkin menjadi anggota konsorsium operator bus transjakarta," kata Soetanto.

Secara terpisah, Kepala Dinas Perhubungan DKI Nurachman mengatakan, masalah ketersediaan armada bus transjakarta yang lambat pada Koridor II dan III memang sepenuhnya tanggung jawab anggota-anggota konsorsium. "Dinas Perhubungan akan bersikap tegas dengan memberi batas waktu pemenuhan armada sebagai kewajiban anggota-anggota konsorsium," katanya.

Saat ini ketersediaan bus transjakarta untuk Koridor I menjadi tanggung jawab Pemerintah Provinsi DKI. Untuk Koridor II dan III menjadi tanggung jawab konsorsium Transbatavia dengan anggota perusahaan Mayasari Bhakti, Metro Mini, PPD, dan Steady Safe.
Menurut Nurachman, hanya Mayasari Bhakti yang sudah memenuhi kewajibannya dalam menyediakan armada bus bagi Koridor II dan III. Ini akan disusul Metro Mini yang akan menyerahkan lima armada bus akhir bulan nanti.

Sementara itu, juru bicara PT Kereta Api (KA) Daops I dan Divisi Jabotabek, Achmad Sujadi, mengatakan, sebenarnya jembatan perlintasan Gunung Sahari yang disebut-sebut menjadi kendala pembangunan Koridor V tak perlu terlalu dirisaukan. Tetap selalu ada jalan keluar jika Pemprov DKI dan pelaksana proyek itu melakukan koordinasi dengan Bagian Jalan dan Jembatan pada Daops I PT KA untuk mengatasinya. Pihak PT KA bersedia meninggikan atau menaikkan jembatan perlintasan tersebut.
Kepala Dinas Pekerjaan Umum DKI Whisnu Subagyo mengatakan, saat ini dia sedang melakukan koordinasi dengan Nurachman untuk uji coba bus transjakarta melewati kolong jembatan itu. (NAW/CAL)
more

Koridor 2, 3 hanya 45 menit

Pulogadung-Harmoni 45 Menit dengan Busway
Selasa, 20 Desember 2005 | 16:51 WIB

TEMPO Interaktif - Sebanyak lima armada bus diturunkan dalam uji coba busway koridor II (Pulogadung-Harmoni) dan III (Kalideres-Harmoni), Selasa (20/12).

Tiga armada berbahan bakar gas dijalankan arah Pulogadung, sedang dua armada lainnya ke arah Kalideres. Gubernur DKI Sutiyoso beserta jajarannya turut dalam bus yang menuju Kalideres.

Perjalanan ujicoba dimulai dari halte Jalan Merdeka Selatan, lalu masuk Merdeka Timur. Dari Kwitang, lalu lintas di jalan reguler yang dilalui tampak macet.

Busway koridor II (Pulogadung-Harmoni) ditempuh dalam 45 menit. Waktu tempuh yang sama dibutuhkan untuk koridor III (Kalideres-Harmoni).

U. Ktistono, Wakil Ketua Dinas Perhubungan DKI, uji coba dilakukan untuk mengecek sarana busway. "Jalur yang tidak dilewati adalah jalur Veteran dan fly over Grogol karena betonnya baru dicor pekan lalu dan baru kering dua pekan kemudian," katanya.

Uji coba tidak akan dilakukan setiap hari tapi terjadwal sepekan tiga kali, yakni Senin, Rabu, dan Jumat. Uji coba yang hanya untuk perwakilan masyarakat, pemerintah provinsi, dan pers itu dilakukan sampai 15 Januari. HARUN MB
more

'Busway project to be operational by 2010'

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration revealed on Monday its transportation system concept -- bus rapid transit (BRT) or busway and railway -- and said it expected it to be fully operational by 2010.

The busway project, which so far only has one corridor from Blok M in South Jakarta to Kota in West Central Jakarta, will be expanded to at least 15 corridors by 2010, connecting nearly all major areas in the city. While the addition of railway tracks is expected to be implemented by 2007.

Sutanto Soehodo, a transportation consultant hired by the city administration, stressed that the main goal of the BRT-railway system was to encourage people to stop using private vehicles and instead use public transportation.

Sutanto, who is the director of the University of Indonesia's (UI) Center for Transport Study (CTS), said the concept takes into account the daily flow of people from Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi into the city center.

"Developing a transportation system without taking into account all of Greater Jakarta would be irrational as those areas are an integral part of the city," said Sutanto after explaining his concept in front of Vice Governor Fauzi Bowo on Monday.

According to Sutanto, the BRT-railway system would be supported by transfer facilities and feeder services that would serve most areas of Jakarta and its satellite cities.

The transfer facilities will be developed at a number of railway stations to convey train passengers to the busway.

Public buses will be used to transport passengers from almost all directions of the city to busway routes.

"The busway-railway system will be integrated by the feeder services and transfer facilities that will serve major parts of the city," he added.

A diagram of the transportation concept shows that eight busway corridors, namely

• Blok M-Kota;
• Pulo Gadung-Hotel Indonesia traffic circle;
• Daan Mogot-Juanda;
• Pulo Gadung-Tanah Abang;
• Kampung Melayu-Ancol;
• Kampung Melayu-Cideng;
• Pasar Minggu-Manggarai;
• and Cileduk-Cawang,

are to be developed by 2007.

While corridors to be developed from 2007 to 2010 are

• Kampung Rambutan-Kampung Melayu;
• Warung Jati-Menteng;
• Tomang-Harmoni-Pasar Baru;
• Cakung-Pulo Gebang-Kampung Melayu;
• Senayan-Pejompongan;
• Lebak Bulus-Kebayoran Lama;
• Cakung-Pulo Gadung.

It also mentions supporting factors to the transportation system, including traffic restriction measures, such as road pricing, license plate-based restrictions and the three-in-one policy that may be enforced on main roads such as Sudirman, Thamrin and Rasuna Said.

Sutanto also stated that by 2020 more corridors would be developed to link Jakarta to its satellite cities.
"The development is to anticipate the high growth of commuters," said Sutanto.

Meanwhile, head of the city transportation agency Rustam Affendi said that the concept being developed by CTS could become the main reference of the development of a transportation system in the city, but additional studies could be done to enhance the concept.

Previously, assistant to the city secretary for development affairs Irzal Djamal said that the feeder services would be of a similar standard as the main corridors, which will be served by air-conditioned buses.

Irzal, who is chairman of the busway project, said that the only difference would be that there would be no special tracks for the feeder services.

The planned feeders are:

• Bekasi-Senayan,
• Jati Bening-Senayan,
• Bandara-Kota,
• Kelapa Gading-Kota,
• Cibubur-Blok M,
• Depok-Blok M,
• Pondok Labu-Blok M,
• Ciputat- Blok M,
• Bintaro-Blok M,
• Cileduk-Blok M,
• BSD-National Monument (Monas),
• Alam Sutra-Monas,
• Kota Modern-Monas
• and Lippo Karawaci-Monas.

more

Public campaign for busway needed

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Although busway systems have been developed successfully in many cities of the world, the city administration has been advised not to apply it without securing public support and making comprehensive preparations.

Preparations include social aspects, such as a public campaign to make sure people have adequate understanding of the new policy, and technical aspects like developing bus shelters, special lanes, traffic lights, traffic signs, and preparing feeder routes.

"The system was able to be developed successfully in many cities, because it was prepared very well. But I haven't seen the same preparations here," said Azas Tigor Nainggolan, chairman of Jakarta Residents's Forum (Fakta) last Saturday.

Tigor was among members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who visited Bogota in Colombia -- a city which has successfully developed the bus rapid transit or BRT -- to take part in a short course on transportation.

A similar comment came from another noted urban observer Marco Kusumawijaya, who said that without public support any development program introduced by the city administration, would end in failure.

Marco also stressed the need for the city administration to make sure that related officials have an in depth understanding of the BRT concept so that they can give a comprehensive explanation to the public.

"So far I've never heard a comprehensive concept conveyed about the busway. What I have heard are only incomplete explanations," he added. "If their explanations are seemingly only concerned with restraints, like the three-in-one and license plate-based restriction policies, people will be disappointed."

A number of world's cities which have developed busway systems, include Bogota (Columbia), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Nagoya (Japan), Taipei (Taiwan), Leeds (UK), Chicago and Honolulu (U.S.), Ottawa and Vancouver (Canada), Adelaide and Brisbane (Australia).

Sharing Marco's views, Tigor also stressed the need of public approval for the city administration program which would affect a large number of people in the city.

Tigor said if the project was implemented, it would drastically change the habits and lifestyle of Jakartans.

"Just imagine, people who usually stop a bus anywhere they like will be forced to go to bus shelters. And the people who usually go to work in their own car will have to travel on public buses," he added.

Therefore, a public campaign is very important to make the people understand the project. To find out what the public wants, he added, the city administration needs to hold a poll. If most people say yes, the project could be continued.

But Governor Sutiyoso said previously that polling was not necessary as he asserted that the majority of Jakarta people accepted the busway project.

"I believe the majority of Jakarta people will accept the project as it is designed for them, if there are people who oppose the project, it must be those who use private cars," Sutiyoso said.

Marco, however, expressed skepticism that Jakartans would support the city administration's plan to develop the BRT project which is expected to be launched later this year.

First, he said he was not sure that the city administration had a comprehensive plan to tackle transportation problems in the city. Second, many development projects in the city have ended in failure due to lack of preparation.

And third, the credibility of the city administration is very low due to rampant corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN), with the result that many projects are not implemented professionally.

Originally, the city administration planned to launch the BRT project, known as Trans Jakarta, late last year. But it was delayed as Governor Sutiyoso realized that it needed further preparation.

Sutiyoso stressed that Trans Jakarta will be launched later this year, but many observers have expressed pessimism as his administration has to date not outlined a clear and thorough concept of the busway system.
more

'Busway to start in December'

Governor Sutiyoso said on Thursday that the busway program would be implemented in December.

He made the statement to reporters a day after his arrival here from a foreign visit to examine the busway systems in several major cities of South American countries, including Columbia and Mexico.

He said that he had ordered Irzal Djamal, the busway team leader, to study the busway systems in the countries and see which system would be appropriate for Jakarta.

The city administration plans to establish a 12.9-kilometer busway route between Blok M in South Jakarta and Kota in West Jakarta, utilizing 140 buses, of which 80 units will be provided by a consortium of private bus companies, a report from the administration said.

The report said that feeder services and ticketing will be operated by private companies, which will be selected later through a tender.

The feeder service will provide public transportation to take passengers from all areas of Jakarta to sections of the route, which will include Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Thamrin, Jl. Gajah Mada and Hayam Wuruk.

Along with the system, the city administration also plans to extend the three-in-one traffic policy throughout the whole day until afternoon.

The policy, which requires motorists to bring at least two passengers inside their cars, is expected to encourage people to leave their cars at home and use the public transportation.--JP more

Busway begins trial period

Preparations mount as busway begins trial period
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration finally started the trial period of its long-awaited busway project, temporarily called TransJakarta, last Friday as two trial buses made the first public appearance of an expected fleet of 60 buses to ply the route linking Blok M in South Jakarta and Kota in West Jakarta.

But many questions remain as to whether the new public transportation system will be a success or will end up as another ill-fated white elephant.

Early signs of possible failure emerged as the City Transportation Agency was forced to postpone the busway trial period several times since last October.

Experts and activists say the repeated delays are signs that the agency does not have a solid concept but officials say that it was simply because they were trying to accommodate all inputs.

"We were made aware that there were so many loopholes in the initial design so we postponed the launch of the trial period," head of the agency's traffic engineering division, Udar Pristono, told reporters on the sidelines of the trial period launch at City Hall.

"This project is aimed at providing a reliable and convenient mode of transportation for residents from the middle and lower income groups so we must prepare it well."

Ordinary buses need some 120 minutes on the 12.9-kilometer Blok M-Kota route for a round trip while the busway will only need some 90 minutes as it would run along a dedicated lane.

"Not only will passengers enjoy faster travel, they will also find it more comfortable and convenient as the buses are air-conditioned and have a reliable headway of between one and a half minutes to five minutes.

"Such a short headway means that passengers will not have to wait too long if they miss the bus while at the same time increasing the busway capacity."

The fare is set at Rp 2,500 (28 U.S. cents) while current bus fares range from Rp 900 to Rp 3,500 depending on the bus type.

Pristono said that demand on the Blok M-Kota route was about 12,600 passengers per hour in one direction.

Currently the agency is testing two different buses to see which one is better suited for the project, the Japanese Hino and German Mercedes Benz.

The Hino bus has 31 seats and the Mercedes Benz has 30 seats. Both have a capacity of 55 standing passengers each.

The buses have doors on both sides to accommodate various situations along the route. It is planned that the shelters will be in the right-hand side of the bus from Blok M until Harmoni in West Jakarta. Entering Jl. Gajah Mada in West Jakarta, the buses will use the left-hand side doors.

There will be 21 stops along the route served by 39 shelters as there are several combined shelters to serve both directions.

Busway rapid transit (BRT) is a common, widely-applied system in Latin American cities such as Bogota, the capital city of Colombia; Curitiba, a city of Brazil; and Quito, the capital city of Equador.

Governor Sutiyoso is slated to visit Bogota to observe the TransMilenio busway system, which was started on Dec. 18, 2000, some time in March.

Agency officials had visited Bogota to learn the system and implement any possible principles here.

TransMilenio's official website www.transmilenio.gov.co reveals that the first phase includes three routes totaling some 41 kilometers constructed between 1998 and 2001.

There are three five-year stages until 2016 when the system is expected to reach all districts of Bogota encompassing 387.9 kilometers.

Pristono told The Jakarta Post that TransJakarta would have a total of 12 routes when it is fully operational.

"The second route will serve the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta and Rawamangun in East Jakarta. We will study this route once the Blok M-Kota is running well," he said.

In contrast to TransMilenio's clear time frame, Pristono said he could not give a clear time frame for the project or how many kilometers of road were involved.

Further homework for city officials will be how to teach the residents to use this new system as people have to be taught to queue and buy tickets before entering the shelters.
more

`Busway not the solution to city traffic problem'

The Jakarta Post - After the postponement of its launch last October due to strong public criticism, the busway system started its trial run last Friday on the designated route from Blok M in South Jakarta to Kota in West Jakarta. However, the public said that the operation of at least 60 buses under the system, which is planned to begin later this year, would likely worsen the traffic. The Jakarta Post spoke with several city residents about their perceptions.

Jubaeri, 53, works as a conductor with a state-owned bus company in South Jakarta. He resides in Rangkasbitung, Banten, with his wife and five children:

I'm sure that the busway system is not the solution to the traffic problem in Jakarta. The size of the thoroughfares remain the same, while the number of vehicles, including public buses, continue to increase. So in what way would the busway alleviate traffic? It would make it even worse, I'm sure.

I have been making a living riding along the streets for 24 years, so I know the exact conditions of the roads. I think the high-ranking city officials are not smart enough to know the real condition.

I guess the busway is just an expensive project, prone to embezzlement and mark-ups.

If the city administration is serious about the traffic problems in Jakarta, it should not easily allow any imported buses into the city. We can see that many imported buses, including used ones, are already operating throughout the city.

In addition, the government should also issue a regulation stipulating that all vehicles of more than five years old to be transferred to other provinces, which are in dire need of public transportation. It will also boost equal development nationwide.

This means that old and worn-out public transportation would be removed from the city. I wonder why decrepit, 30-year-old buses are still allowed to operate on Jakarta streets?

The city administration should be strict in this respect. Start by banning the three-in-one traffic rule, which requires private cars to carry at least three passengers along Sudirman and Thamrin, as it failed to deal with the traffic congestion. Otherwise, the traffic problems will only get worse.

Ryan, 27, is a tattoo artist who works in Blok M, South Jakarta. He resides in Petukangan, South Jakarta, with his wife and three adopted children:

The busway system introduced by the city administration does not make any sense at all. I wonder why the government thinks that the busway could eliminate the traffic jams?

How could the city government intend to add more public buses? The additional buses will only make the traffic worse. Rather than wasting their time addressing the busway, why don't they try to shift the old public mini-buses to other regions in the country?

I think that many people in many regions outside Jakarta badly need public transportation. In my hometown in Yogyakarta, I have to wait for hours for public buses just for a short trip.

The government should also think over the other provinces' development, in which the lack of public transportation is a daily problem. Jakarta is not the only place that should be developed.

It would be better that the city administration improve the management of the existing public transportation in the city. The lack of discipline has severely crippled the traffic in general, I think.

Should the busway system become a reality, I assume that the number of criminals will also increase. Criminals might target busway passengers, who would very likely be from the middle- and high-income brackets.

Anyway, I'm pessimistic, as even educated people could do nothing to block the government's decision. How can I, as a poor person, change it?

Tono, 30, formerly a conductor on an intercity bus, has been unemployed for some time, and is still looking for a job. He resides in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta:

I think Jakarta has a very complex traffic problem. Worse, it's almost impossible for the busway system to be implemented to overcome the problem, let alone to provide a solution to alleviate the congestion. It's impossible and a waste of the city budget.

Now, we can see that private cars and public transportation already fill up the designed route every day. With the busway system, it will be worse.

If the busway system is enforced, this means that the existing public transportation on those same routes must be reduced, which will, in turn, spark new social unrest and threaten security in the city.

Besides, I don't think that the well-off people in the city will be willing to not use their own private cars. They don't want to believe that they contribute to the traffic congestion by driving in their own cars, anyway.

-- Leo Wahyudi S.
more