The clatter of luggage wheels echoed all around, blending with the joy of people welcoming their loved ones. This was the atmosphere that greeted me when I first landed at Soekarno-Hatta airport. I was quite confused as this was my first time setting foot in Jakarta. Jakarta is a large city and also a metropolitan center. I could already imagine how busy and crowded the capital must be.

On my first day in Jakarta, I was completely alone. Not because I didn’t have any family in the city, but because everyone was busy and no one could pick me up. Without knowing where to go, I decided to rely on the internet, looking for any app that could help me as a first-time visitor who knew nothing about this city. 

After a few minutes, I finally found the answer: the JAKIapp. At first, I wondered, “What is JAKI?”. It turns out that JAKI is a multifunctional app developed by the Provincial Government of Jakarta, designed for citizens, including newcomers or tourists like me. 

Inside the JAKI app, there are many useful features you can use to find public transport routes, report issues, and check information about public facilities. But, out of all the features, there are five that helped me the most during my first exploration of Jakarta. 

So, what are JAKI’s top features for beginners? Let’s take a look!

Public Transportation

After downloading the JAKI app, I was not confused anymore about what to take to get to my relatove's house in Jakarta. Luckily, there’s a Public Transport feature in JAKI that was truly helpful. This feature provides schedules and routes for public transportation such as MRT, LRT, Transjakarta, and Mikrotrans. I was interested in trying the MRT and LRT, but I ended up choosing Transjakarta because the nearest stop was closest to my location at the time. My experience riding Transjakarta was very pleasant. The bus was comfortable, passengers were orderly, and the atmosphere felt safe. I could enjoy the ride without any worries.

Public Transportation Features in JAKI App

News

During the ride and while waiting for the Transjakarta bus to reach destination bus stop, I explored other features in the JAKI app. One that caught my attention was the the News feature. There, I found various updates and information about Jakarta. 

After scrolling for a while, I came across something that instantly got me excited. Tomorrow, on June 22, 2025 there will be the main celebration night  for Jakarta's 498th Anniversary at Lapangan Banteng Park.Turns out there will be concert too, with some amazing guest stars. What made me the most excited was that JKT 48 would be performing live there. As a big fan of theirs, I immediately marked the event.

News: Peak Night of the 498th Anniversary Celebration of Jakarta

Map

The next day, I was all set to go to the main event of Jakarta’s anniversary celebration. But there was one thing I worried about, I was not familiar with Jakarta’s roads. What if I got lost and missed the performances? 

Luckily, I had already downloaded the JAKI app, which has a Map feature. Through this feature, I could easily search for the location of Taman Lapangan Banteng and see the route along with the estimated travel time.. The navigation was easy to understand and the directions were accurate. I was able to go straight to the venue without worrying about getting lost.Even though it was my first time getting around in Jakarta, everything felt so much easier  because of the Map feature in the JAKI app.
 

Map of Banteng Field Park in JAKI

Air Quality 

Aside from the Map feature, there was another feature in JAKI that  caught my attention, the Air Quality feature. Through this feature, I could check the air quality across all areas in Jakarta, complete with status and the Air Pollution Standard Index (ISPU) for each type of pollutant.

It turns out that JAKI is complete! You can even check the air quality in Jakarta without being on-site. Since my destination that day was  Lapangan Banteng, I checked the air quality there. Apparently, the air quality at Taman Lapangan Banteng was unhealthy, possibly due to the large crowd and private vehicles passing by.

But once again, the JAKI app put my mind at ease, because the Air Quality feature also provides health recommendations based on the pollution level. For example, people who are sensitive or have dust can still do outdoor activities, but are advised to stop if they start coughing or feeling short of breath.  People with asthma are advised to bring their medication, and those just in case. And finally, those with heart conditions should be cautious if they feel tired or experience an increased heart rate.

Air Quality and Health Recommendations from the JAKI App

Free WiFi

When I arrived at Taman Lapangan Banteng, my mobile network started becoming unstable, probably because of the large crowd. But then I remembered that I had already downloaded the JAKI app, and it turned out there was a perfect solution for this situation, the Free Wifi Feature.

Through this feature, I could find the nearest free WiFi hotspots in Jakarta based on my current location. Turns out, there were so many of them. Without hesitation, I immediately connected to one of the public WiFi networks around Lapangan Banteng. This feature saved me in a critical moment. I was able to access the internet for free and explore Jakarta comfortably. 

Free WiFi Points from JAKI App

From this experience, I can conclude that the JAKI app is not only useful for locals, but also very helpful for tourists or newcomers like me. From the Public Transportation, News, Maps, Air Quality, to Free WiFi features, everything is available in one app.

There are still many other features you can explore based on your needs. So, if you are a Jakarta resident or planning a visit to the city, don't forget to download the JAKI app to #smartenup your life in Jakarta.