New Executive Shuttle Bus Service for Jakarta Commuters
Cikarang. People living in, or near upscale residential areas on the outskirts of Jakarta will be able to enjoy a better commute from Tuesday (14/02), thanks to a new executive shuttle bus service that will offer more comfortable rides.
The new JR Connexion bus service, which is aimed at encouraging more people to use public transportation, was initiated by the Ministry of Transportation's Greater Jakarta Transportation Body (BPTJ), in cooperation with selected bus operators and property developers.
The BPTJ will supervise operations of the selected bus operators, while property developers will assist in establishing bus shelters at each of the targeted residential areas in Bogor (West Java), Tangerang (Banten), Depok (West Java) and Bekasi (West Java).
BPTJ head Elly Adriani Sinaga told reporters on Friday that JR Connexion is different from the TransJakarta busway, which also serves the greater Jakarta area. The new shuttle bus service targets middle-to-upper income commuters, especially those living in upscale residential complexes.
People living on the outskirts of Jakarta typically use private vehicles for their daily commute and thus greatly contribute to traffic congestion in the city.
JR Connexion is expected to encourage commuters to leave their cars at home, as the shuttle service will operate on direct routes from the various bus shelters on the outskirts of Jakarta to strategic locations in the heart of the city, with no stops in between. One such destination will be FX Senayan, a shopping mall in South Jakarta.
The air-conditioned buses will accommodate up to 30 passengers, each in a comfortable seat, which will allow them to use their laptop computers while connected to free Wi-Fi, so they can get some work done while commuting.
A trip will cost between Rp 20,000 and Rp 25,000 ($1.50-$1.80).
Elly said the BPTJ already created a smartphone application that will allow commuters to access the service, but that they are waiting for the right moment to launch it.
She said the app will allow passengers to monitor the location of buses in real time while they wait. They will also have access to departure schedules and a list of target destinations.
The app will further provide information about other modes of transportation in the city, such as the TransJakarta busway and the light rail commuter train system, which is currently being developed.
"We are grateful for the government's support, through the BPTJ, for developing new modes of transportation in the Bekasi region," said Eddy Triyanto, head of support services at Lippo Cikarang, which also cooperates with the BPTJ.
Lippo Cikarang is the developer of an industrial township at Cikarang in Bekasi. It has provided, in cooperation with AO Shuttle, an executive shuttle bus service between Cikarang and Jakarta for more than 13 years. This service will be integrated with JR Connexion.
The following upscale residential areas will have access to the JR Connexion service:
Bogor: Citra Indah Jonggol, Bellanova and Botani Square
Depok: Pesona Khayangan
Tangerang: Lippo Village Karawaci and Citra Raya
Serpong: BSD City and Bintaro Jaya
Bekasi: Lippo Cikarang, Grand Wisata, Galaxy Real Estate and Summarecon Bekasi.
Cibubur: Citra Grand Cibubur, Puri Sriwedari, Legenda Wisata, Cibubur Country, Harvest City, Metland Transyogie, Kenari Nusantara, Kota Wisata and Cibubur Residence.
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