Bekasi, Depok Welcome New TransJakarta Routes
Bekasi. Jakarta's satellite cities of Bekasi and Depok in West Java have welcomed six new TransJakarta bus routes that were opened on Monday (25/04). These form part of 21 new routes that will eventually connect the capital with the Greater-Jakarta area, which also includes Bogor, in West Java, and Tangerang, in Banten province.
The new Jakarta-Bekasi routes run between West Bekasi and Tanjung Priok Port; West Bekasi and the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle (in Central Jakarta); East Bekasi and Grogol (in West Jakarta); and East Bekasi and the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle. The bus operator uses 15 new buses on these routes.
"We have prepared 40 TransJakarta buses [for the Bekasi routes]. We're still running a trial on the new routes, so we're only operating 15 buses at the moment. But we can add up to 100 if necessary," TransJakarta president director Budi Kaliwono said at a press conference in Bekasi on Monday.
The new routes are expected to encourage many of the 2.3 million people living in Bekasi, which is situated to the east of Jakarta, to stop relying on private cars and motorcycles to commute to the capital and to use public transport instead.
TransJakarta also introduced two other routes from the University of Indonesia in Depok to Manggarai (in South Jakarta), and from Lebak Bulus (in South Jakarta) to the city center.
Police reported no resistance by the operators of private buses and minivans to the launch of the new TransJakarta bus routes on Monday.
"No rifts [between private bus operators and TransJakarta] have been reported so far," Bekasi Police traffic unit chief Comr. Bayu Pratama told reporters.
TransJakarta's route expansion is part of the city administration's efforts to improve public transportation. The city recently welcomed the addition of 600 buses to the TransJakarta fleet, which operates in dedicated bus lanes.
Writing by Edo Karensa
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