Busway project shelters started

The Jakarta Post - The construction of eight of 29 bus shelters for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), or busway, project began on Friday, said head of the City Transportation Agency Rustam Effendi.

The eight shelters are located along Jl. Sisingamangaraja, South Jakarta, and Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Central Jakarta.
Rustam said that completion of the construction was expected in December.
Other construction projects for the busway include median strips, footbridges and traffic lights.

The assistant to the city secretary for development affairs previously announced that the first busway corridor, from Blok M, South Jakarta, to Kota, Central Jakarta, would be inaugurated next January.
The project, costing some Rp 117 billion (US$13.76 million) was first introduced in 2001; its opening has been delayed several times. -- JP more

City not yet prepared to inaugurate busway

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite a number of delays, the city administration is still not yet ready to launch its bus rapid transit (BRT) system, popularly known as the busway, as two large questions remain to be answered.

Many have questioned the busway program, scheduled to be launched early in January, since it appears that it cannot resolve the traffic chaos along the route from Blok M to Kota.

The most difficult problems are whether the city administration has an adequate number of buses to transport a massive surge of passengers within a relatively short space of time, as most passengers will be workers, and what it will do with the existing 165 buses that currently ply the route.

Assistant to the city secretary for development affairs Irzal Djamal said on Saturday that the administration had been forced into implementing the Rp 115-billion project as it would initially deploy only 55 buses in the program.

Irzal was correcting two hasty statements by Governor Sutiyoso and city transportation agency chief Rustam Effendy that the busway program would be launched in December and as many as 60 buses would be deployed to support it.

He conceded that the number of buses would be far from sufficient because the program would need neither 55 nor 60 buses but around 200 to enable it to transport 60,000 passengers in the morning peak from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., and in the evening from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The administration has delayed several times the launch of the busway program due to complex problems anticipated to arise.

According to Irzal, with a total of 55 buses the BRT program would be able to carry only up to 20,000 passengers during peak hours, while the city administration has estimated that the actual number of passengers would total around 60,000.

The headway of buses will be about three minutes, meaning a bus would arrive at a shelter every three minutes or so. Irzal acknowledged the possibility of overload at bus shelters along the corridor because the headway would be far from the ideal -- 1.5 minutes.

"A 1.5-minute headway can be reached only if the buses deployed to serve the 12.9-kilometer route is at least 140. That could be achieved by the end of 2004," Irzal added.

Another problem is how the city administration will deal with the remaining 40,000 frustrated passengers who cannot be carried because other buses currently plying the route will no longer be allowed to operate.

Besides that, the city administration has yet to propose a solution with regard to the 165 buses currently operated by four bus companies, Djakarta Transport Company (PPD), Bianglala, Himpurna and Steady Safe.

Irzal said that the city administration had not yet offered a solution, including paying compensation to the four companies if they demanded it.

"Some buses will be allowed to continue plying the route but we have yet to determine how many will be granted operating permits. But of course, the buses will have to be modified so that they are compatible with the BRT shelters," Irzal said. more

What has become of the Jakarta busway project?

The Jakarta Post

Azas Tigor Nainggolan, Coordinator Forum of Jakarta Residents (FAKTA), Jakarta, azastigor@yahoo.com

It has been quite a while since we last heard of the busway project, which the Jakarta provincial administration said would kick off late in 2003.

The last media report about the project was related to the additional budget of Rp 34 billion, that the Jakarta provincial administration submitted to the legislative assembly. Earlier, in late July 2003, the project attracted our attention when one of the technical assistants from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), John Earns, and a Brazilian expert in technical engineering, Paulo Custodio, came to Indonesia. Both were speakers in an introduction of the busway system sponsored by the privately-run Pelangi Foundation.

The two men expressed their optimism in the mass public transportation project by drawing comparisons with a project called Transmilenio in Bogota, Colombia (Kompas, July 31, 2003). Earns believed that the project in Jakarta, slated to be completed in 2007, would be successful because the city had broader streets than Bogota. Custodio said he believed that transportation problems in Jakarta resembled those prevailing in Bogota.

However, the comparison was very unfair and will only lower the reputation of city officials, including Governor Sutiyoso.

Maybe The Pelangi Foundation and the two foreign experts did not have the heart to be honest about the great differences between the two cities, in terms of social and political contexts, as well as the mentality of the city bureaucracy. Bogota is also three times larger than Jakarta.

Bogota's city center is as large as Bandung and neatly laid out in a European manner, unlike Jakarta, a city lacking an appropriate development plan. Bogota is populated by about seven million people, the unemployment rate between 16 and 18 percent. Jakarta, on the other hand, boasts a population of 10 million with scores of unemployed people living in poverty.

Another difference between Jakarta and Bogota lies in the circumstances of Jakarta's governor, and former Bogota mayor Enrique Penallosa (who began the Transmilenio program in 1988).

This program is continued by the new mayor, Antanas Mockus. Both Penallosa and Mockus come from educated circles. Penallosa was a directly elected mayor supported by 60 percent of Bogota residents. Like his predecessor, Mockus was also directly elected. But, in contrast, Sutiyoso was not directly elected; he was supported by 47 out of 85 members of the Jakarta legislative assembly.

As a guest in Bogota in early February 2003, I witnessed Mockus' popularity. Residents rushed to shake hands with him the moment he got out from his car. Even sidewalk vendors joined the jubilant flock of people wishing to shake his hand. Likewise, wherever Penallosa walked, motorists shouted and waved to him. A student told me that Penallosa and Mockus were the best mayors Bogota had ever had.

It would be difficult to see a similar relationship between Sutiyoso and the residents of Jakarta.

It is worth noting that Bogota has a 200-kilometer-long network of roads for pedestrians and motorcyclists. Both Penallosa and Mockus realized that corruption had long plagued the city bureaucracy. However, their Transmilenio program involved the residents of the city, in an indication that the mayoralty was ready for direct control. So, slowly but surely, it seems they are able to eliminate corruption from the bureaucracy.

Unfortunately, Sutiyoso is not prepared to involve the residents in such programs. That is why -- although there is evidence of corruption within the provincial bureaucracy of Jakarta -- legal proceedings have never taken place.

In the busway project, worth Rp 2.7 billion, the establishment of bus lanes and bus stops is not offered through an open bid. Irregularities are also suspected in the project's budget. Initially, the city administration requested Rp 86 billion to be allocated to the project in the 2003 Jakarta provincial budget; but asked for an additional Rp 34 billion for unclear reasons.

It is now September 2003, but we are yet to be informed which company will mark the roads and which will supply the buses. Also, the people are still in the dark when it comes to the transportation operators to manage the busway.

We fear the project officers will argue that -- given that time is running out for the project's commencement -- an open tender is unnecessary, and finally the city administration will simply appoint certain companies to carry out the project.

Judging by past experience, the city administration might inflate the budget and then authorize the appointed companies to purchase new buses. The bus supply is also vulnerable to wrongdoings. The original price of a bus -- around Rp 750 million -- may be marked up to Rp 800 million.

All this produces skepticism, particularly of the idea that the ambitious busway project will be a success in Jakarta.

The writer is also coordinator of Citizens' Coalition for Transportation in Jakarta.
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City buys 60 buses without holding tender

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Officials of the city administration revealed on Wednesday that they are purchasing 60 buses for the busway system without holding a tender, which is a violation of a presidential decree on the procurement of goods and services for government agencies.

Head of the city transportation agency Rustam Effendi said the buses which would be used in the first 12.9-kilometers of the bus rapid transit (BRT) or busway from Blok M in South Jakarta to Kota area in Central Jakarta would be Hino and Mercedes buses.

"Yes, the procurement of the 60 buses will be from Hino and Mercedes. It (The process) is completed," Rustam told the press at City Hall, adding that the assembling plant of the buses would be PT New Armada.

The city administration has allocated Rp 50 billion for procuring the buses from the city budget. The fund is part of some Rp 117 billion which has been allocated to fund the project.

The procurement of the buses is a direct violation of Presidential Decree No. 18/2000 on the procurement of goods and services for government agencies.

Article 17, paragraph 4 of the presidential decree stipulates that the procurement of goods and services may be implemented without tender under four conditions:

* If the value of the project is not more than Rp 50 million.

* In the case of consulting services, where it is hard to find participants who meet the requirements.

* In emergency or special conditions, upon approval of the minister/head of non-ministerial institution/governor/mayor/director of state-owned companies.

* If there is only one supplying company

According to Rustam, the city administration could not hold a tender due to the shortage of time as the buses were needed within six months.

"The presidential decree allows for direct appointment in an emergency situation," said Rustam.

Governor Sutiyoso said that he was not aware of the direct appointment of the companies for the procurement of the buses. He stressed, however, that he had no objection if there was a reasonable argument behind the appointment.

"The most important thing for me is that the project is expedited," he said.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) Azas Tigor Nainggolan slammed the direct appointment of the bus suppliers, saying that there was no reason for the city not to hold a tender for procuring the buses.

"How could they say it is an emergency situation when the plan to buy the buses had already been determined last year," Tigor told The Jakarta Post.
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Another Rp 32 billions

Another Rp 32b sought for controversial busway project
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration said on Monday it would need an additional Rp 32 billion for its bus rapid transit (BRT) -- or busway -- project, an admission that points to the administration's poor planning of the project.

With the additional fund, which is to be taken from the city budget, the 12.9-kilometer busway stretching from Blok M, South Jakarta, to Kota, Central Jakarta, will cost at least Rp 117 billion.

"There will be significant changes in the designs of the bus shelters and bridges connecting pavements and the shelters located on the median strip," busway project leader Irzal Djamal said.

It was the second revision of the project's budget since the plan was introduced two years ago. Initially, it was estimated that the project would only cost Rp 50 billion. The figure was revised up to Rp 85 billion late last year. The implementation of the project has also been postponed several times already.

Even with the additional fund, Governor Sutiyoso said he could not guarantee that the busway would be completed in December according to the latest schedule, as there might be technical problems.

Sutiyoso said the new design for the 29 shelters would be similar to the busway shelters in Bogota, measuring 13 meters instead of the earlier design of 5 meters, and that owing to the increased space, no air conditioners would be installed as initially planned.

As for the 21 pedestrian bridges, Sutiyoso said they would be resigned as a winding, combined staircase and ramp to provide accessibility for disabled people, instead of a straight staircase.

Irzal explained that the redesigning of the bus shelter required an additional Rp 15 billion, while the change in the bridge design needed Rp 17 billion.

He did not say how much was currently allocated toward the shelters and connecting bridges, but from the previous budget of Rp 85 billion, Rp 35 billion is allocated toward the infrastructure: Shelters, connecting bridges, separators and traffic signs. Another Rp 50 billion will be used to purchase 60 buses.

He stressed that if the busway project was launched in December, the 165 buses now running along the designated busway corridors by eight bus operators -- including state-owned public bus operator PPD, Mayasari Bakti, Steady Safe and Bianglala -- would be rerouted.

Asked if the new buses would be able to accommodate the bulk of passengers who regularly travel from Blok M to Kota, Irzal could not provide an answer, but said that 140 busway buses would be available by 2004.

He also said that the buses for the busway could not use gasoline as planned earlier, because of technical problems, and would instead run on diesel fuel. It takes eight months to process the order for gasoline-powered buses, while another four months would be needed to assemble them.

However, he guaranteed that the emission from the buses would meet the international Euro II standard for environmentally friendly vehicles.

Developed countries generally use Euro III-rated buses.
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'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.

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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.
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