City plans to reorganize Transjakarta

Tifa Asrianti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta  |  Sat, 11/08/2008 11:53 AM  

City administration announced Friday its plan to reorganize busway operator Transjakarta into a more accountable and independent organization in the hope of better service. 

Governor Fauzi Bowo said his administration had set a target to complete the reorganization of Transjakarta within the next four months. 

"The new organization will have to submit regular financial reports, and profit and loss balance reports," he said. 

City Secretary Muhayat said under the new organization, Transjakarta would be able to recruit professionals and propose credit loans to banks. 

The new organization will allow Transjakarta flexibility in revenue and expenditure management, cash management, loan, investment, procurement, system development as well as employment of professionals. 

To improve the busway service, Fauzi said he ordered the agency to boost bus procurement for corridors 8, 9 and 10. He said he would also improve the feeder system to the busway network in an effort to raise its passenger numbers. 

In 2004, Transjakarta recorded 15.9 million passengers and in 2005 the number jumped to 20.7 million people traveling on only Corridor 1 (Kota-Blok M). The number reached 33.8 million in 2006, when it added two more corridors. It recorded 44.2 million passengers for seven corridors as of September 2007. 

In August 2008, busway recorded 232,000 passengers per day. 

Steps have been taken to improve the busway service. On Thursday, the governor inaugurated a new official to head the busway operator, along with eight other officials. 

The new Transjakarta head Daryati Asrining Rini said she agreed with the plan to reorganize Transjakarta because it would make busway financially independent. 

"It is better that way because the busway subsidy will go to the needy," she said. 

Daryati said she would improve the busway service by providing hotline numbers to get feedback and suggestions. 

"I used to receive harsh treatment from the ticket officers. It should be changed. I want to involve the public in improving our service," she said. 

Transjakarta also has an unsolved tariff problem with the consortium operating the corridors. 

The problem began when the city administration held tender on tariff for corridors 4-7. 

Two companies, Primajasa and Lorena, won the tender by proposing tariffs lower than the one proposed by current operators PT Jakarta Trans Metropolitan and PT Jakarta Mega Trans. 

The city administration asked operators to obey the tender result and follow the new tariffs. However, the discussion went into a deadlock. 

Fauzi said his administration brought it to the National Arbitration Body after the Development Finance Comptroller could not solve the problem.