To start with, Governor Anies Baswedan reversed the habits of the people of Jakarta by using feet as the main means of transportation, then public transportation, bicycles, motorbikes, and then private cars.
The achievement of the Sustainable Transport Award (STA) for two consecutive years is a testament to the world’s recognition of the innovation of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government in building an integrated and sustainable public transportation system.
ONE of the reasons why the Governor of DKI Jakarta Mr. Anies Baswedan received international recognition regarding the modernization of transportation in Jakarta and subsequently won the 2021 Sustainable Transport Award (STA), cannot be separated from his idea of integrating all public transportation in the capital city.
The world now recognizes Anies’ success in a real revolution in the field of public transportation in the metropolitan capital he leads.
Anies’ simple recipe in integrating public transportation is to reverse the habits of the people of Jakarta and its surroundings in traveling, namely using feet as the main means of transportation. However the implementation is not an easy undertaking.
Changing people’s ‘mindset’ is not easy. Anies constantly disseminates his ideas and thoughts and applies the best method without waiting and not listening to baseless criticism. He prefers to work in silence.
What has the Governor done?
First, he realized that the reliability of public transportation was the main problem that caused congestion and pollution. And, in this case, Jakarta used to be notorious in the past.
Almost all people in Jakarta use feet as the fourth means of transportation, after private vehicles such as motorbikes, cars, bicycles, and public transportation. Then just walk.
Anies reversed the people’s habits and ‘mindset’ by using feet as the main means of transportation, then public transportation, bicycles, motorbikes, and then private cars.
“We are changing the way we approach the issue of population mobility in Jakarta, so there is a sequence. What is the priority, if so far the approach is private vehicles first, then public transportation. The last one is pedestrians,” said Anies on his personal YouTube, quoted by KBA News in Jakarta on Sunday, December 19, 2021.
Second, Anies realizes that entertaining the habit of people who have been relying on private vehicles on the one hand and facilitating road expansion for them is an unsustainable policy. The wider the available roads, the more private vehicle users will be. This is a ‘viscious circle’ that must be broken, said Anies.
Anies’s move to change the habits of the people of Jakarta is not limited to words, but he executes it by widening sidewalks for pedestrians, providing bicycle lanes and integrating all modes of public transportation. Private vehicle lanes are placed at the lowest priority.
Changing the old habit was not easy. At the beginning Anies was attacked with various arguments, criticism, and even baseless accusation and insults. Anies did not budge and did what his best adviser in the transportation team suggested and he was right.
So the order was changed. If we do this, the facilities provided must be appropriate. That’s why we in Jakarta build so many sidewalks, because everyone likes roads and why have we prepared bicycle lanes, so that bicycle users have access and we are talking about integrated public transportation, “said Anies.
Third, public transportation system in Jakarta must also be reorganized, to be integrated in order to avoid overlapping operational coverage and hence wasting.
According to Anies, if public transportation is not well managed, then residents will always relyon their private vehicles for their mobility in Jakarta. As proven in the past, his successors would need to start over from ‘square one’. Again and again and this problem would be perennial.
Public transportation is built as a unit. If we in the government don’t build public transportation, the citizens will prepare private vehicles to help with their mobility. This is not sustainable for Jakarta’s future,” he said.
According to Governor Anies, there are keywords to integrate transportation in Jakarta, namely the integration of the trident: in the field of transportation routes, integration in ticketing and integration in a centralized management. The important trident that is carried out simultaneously is the central point for breaking the vicious circle of public transportation problems in the capital.
“So when we build this integration, it means that the existing public transportation in Jakarta is integrated as one unit. This means that this is called the Jaklingko card, a card used to ride public transportation in Jakarta. We adopt Jaklingko itself to function of the public transportation routes in Jakarta to be integrated, to move people from one place to another, “he concluded.
As we all know, the sidewalks in Jakarta are no longer as quiet as they used to be. Jakarta residents are now using their feet a lot as their main means of transportation, and this is evidenced by the constant decrease of mobility of private vehicles in Jakarta, and also seen by reduced number of traffic jams in Jakarta.
Sustainable Transport Award (STA) 2021
Governor Anies Baswedan revealed the secret of Jakarta’s success in breaking the vicious circle of public transportation problems with his central key idea in integrating intermodal public transportation. This is the signature revolution that Anies has carried out in his 4 years of reign in the Jakarta Province.
The success of this revolution is observed and assessed and now Jakarta has become a national pride because it won the ‘Sustainble Transport Award’ for two years in a row from a world institution.
“The achievement of the STA award for two consecutive years is a testament to the world recognition of the innovation of the Jakarta Capital City Government in building an integrated and sustainable public transportation system,” said Anies in an English presentation at the TED forum.
The assessment of the STA award is carried out by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and the Sustainable Transport Committee. DKI Jakarta has been named the champion for the best progress category in the field of public transportation.
This successive award is an acknowledgment of our tireless commitment to continuously improving and transforming the public transportation system. This year we are one step ahead by winning the 2021 Sustainable Transport Award first place,” Anies said at the TED forum, Wednesday, December 15, 2021.
Home to 11 million people and up to 30 million people when added to the population in buffer areas, ] Jakarta is “the largest megapolis in the southern hemisphere. Thus, the presence of integrated and reliable transportation is a necessity, Anies stressed.
So our public transportation system must meet the requirement of a big, dynamic and busy city. It should also be an inclusive, reliable and sustainable public transportation system, as my top priority in the last four years,” said Anies.
Rating Indicators
According to Anies, DKI Jakarta won the STA award for successfully integrating all modes of transportation, both physically and in payment system. The arrangement of public transportation facilities, such as TransJakarta or the Jakarta Integrated Moda Raya (MRT) which is integrated with the Commuter Line train belonging to PT KAI, is also an indicator of the assessment.
The city of Jakarta is also considered successful in improving access for pedestrians or sidewalks to available public transportation.
Thus, it cannot be denied that Jakarta has succeeded in carrying out a revolution in implementing intermodal public transportation in just 4 years. .
In this global competition, Jakarta managed to outperform a number of well-known cities in the world, such as Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Bogota (Colombia), Auckland (New Zealand), Braga (Portugal), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Frankfurt (Germany), to Sao Paulo. (Brazil).
STA is an annual award given to cities that have demonstrated commitment, political will, and vision in the field of sustainable urban transportation. The assessment is carried out by recording progress over the last two years.
The spirit of STA is to celebrate cities with all their limitations to be consistent in realizing a fair and affordable transportation system for all citizens regardless of age, gender, or economic and physical ability.
Intermodal Integration
The intermodal integration carried out by Governor Anies started from the arrangement of infrastructure in a number of commuter-line train station areas, busway stops that were made comfortable and friendly for people with disabilities, revitalization of pedestrian bridges (JPO), to the construction of multipurpose pedestrian bridges (JPM). The sidewalk arrangement is also a part of this program.
A joint venture company between PT MRT Jakarta (Perseroda) and PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero), namely PT Moda Integrasi Transportasi Jabodetabek (MITJ), was tasked with structuring a number of stations which were divided into two stages.
The first stage of arrangement was carried out at Juanda Station, Pasar Senen, Tanah Abang, and Sudirman, which was inaugurated on June 17, 2020. While the second stage was carried out at Tebet, Palmerah, Gondangdia, Manggarai, and Jakarta Kota stations.
The arrangement of the two stations, namely Tebet Station and Palmerah Station, has been completed. Meanwhile, at Manggarai Station, it only reached 95 percent and Gondangdia Station reached 69 percent (October 2021). The arrangement of the two stations is targeted to be completed this year, but the arrangement at the Jakarta Kota Station is set to be completed in 2022.
In addition to station arrangement, PT MITJ is also tasked with constructing JPM and revitalizing Sudirman Station. The JPM, which will become a meeting place for users from various modes of transportation, is targeted to operate in June 2022, along with the planned operation of the Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Bekasi (Jabodebek) LRT.
Meanwhile, PT MRT Jakarta was tasked with constructing the Dukuh Atas Simpang Temu or Transport Hub located on the former Blora Market area, Menteng, Central Jakarta. The inauguration was carried out by Governor Anies on Wednesday, October 13, 2021.
PT MRT Jakarta in carrying out this development project collaborates with Perumda Pasar Jaya, PT Pembangunan (Persero), and other stakeholders.
Establishing the connecting points: the key to intermodal integration
The development of the connecting point is expected to reflect a future orientation, which is expected to be a trigger for urban regeneration, so that Jakarta is on a par with other big cities in the world and as the embodiment of a livable city.
This connecting point in the Dukuh Atas area is the first area where we will develop a transit-oriented concept,” Anies said at the inauguration of the first intersection in Jakarta.
The Simpang Temu Dukuh Atas will be built on a land area of 3,129 square meters based on the land certificate, which will be used for the construction of approximately 2,445 square meters on Perumda Pasar Jaya land. Then, PT MRT Jakarta will carry out a land lease scheme.
Governor Anies hopes that this development can be a momentum for changing the transportation system in Jakarta from car-oriented to public transport-oriented. Thus, Jakarta residents would have easy access to public transportation, both in terms of facilities and costs.
Ticketing System
In addition to infrastructure arrangement, the integrated transportation system also arranges the payment system (ticketing). The collaboration between transportation companies belonging to the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, namely PT MRT Jakarta, PT Transjakarta, PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro), and PT MITJ, formed a joint venture company in the payment system sector, namely PT Jak Lingko Indonesia.
PT JakLingko Indonesia has announced the start of the first phase of intermodal integration in the Capital City through smart cards (smart cards) and applications (super apps) on September 29, 2021, along with the inauguration of the Tebet Station area arrangement.
JakLingko continues to expand trials in all stations and stops for intermodal transportation, namely Commuterline, TransJakarta, MRT Jakarta, LRT Jakarta, and airport trains.
Governor Anies promised that the transportation integration system under the PT Jak Lingko Indonesia network would be able to provide fair fares for residents in the capital city.
“This super apps and ticketing system is not only more convenient, but also more equitable because when it’s finished it will provide different prices for different passengers,” said Anies during the inauguration of the arrangement for the Tebet Station in South Jakarta, Wednesday, September 29, 2021.
In the next phase, transportation service users will apply integrated intermodal tariffs that are more affordable. At this stage, Jak Lingko cooperates with a number of companies to build a public transportation ecosystem such as motorcycle taxis and online taxis as well as the tourism and culinary sectors.
Indonesian people are looking forward in their capital city receiving further awards and recognition for its success in uplifting Jakartas prestige among other big metropolitan sities around the globe.
(Haz Pohan, Editor-in-Chief, KBA News)
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