Several Transjakarta bus stops close to skyscrapers are usually busy from five o’clock in the afternoon until late at night. Filled with various passengers from men with striped shirts, women with chiffon blouses, or others with typical style of office employees. They jostled toward several corridors. The smell of perfume and sweat mixed in the air, adding to the unique atmosphere of the bus waiting that would take them home.

The afternoon atmosphere at the Transjakarta bus stop has not changed much, it is always crowded with loyal users, even after more than 17 years the fleet belonging to PT Jakarta Transportation has been operating. These buses are a silent witness to the journey of life. However, just like humans, Transjakarta also thrives to create better services from year to year. So, while we are on the occasion of Transjakarta’s birthday, let’s celebrate it with a little bit of nostalgia and a look at its future.

When The Orange Fleet Appears

Photo: thecityfix.com

A commotion over a new mode of transportation in Jakarta started in 2004. The trigger was the construction of a Transjakarta busway that cut a quarter of Jakarta’s streets. “It’s jammed, and now even more jammed”, was the initial expression by some people who felt that their rights as road users were being stolen by the construction of the then orange fleet. Negative criticisms were also conveyed by several news headline writers, members of the People’s Representative Council, to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who considered the development program with a billions of rupiah in budget as a failed product.

Aside from Sutiyoso, the then Governor of Jakarta, maybe only a few people were optimistic about the existence of Transjakarta. Even so, the inauguration was still held on January 15, 2004. For two weeks after the inauguration, people flocked to try the experience of traveling around Jakarta with the orange bus for free.

After receiving various responses at the beginning of its appearance, Transjakarta became even stronger by transforming as PT Transportasi Jakarta on March 27, 2014, which became Transjakarta’s birthday. After more than 17 years serving Jakarta residents, This affordable public transportation still exists to maintain its title as Jakarta’s mainstay mode of transportation.

Travel Around Jakarta

Since 2004, the eagle logo which is an attribute of Transjakarta, has often been seen on the streets of Jakarta until 2012. It shows how the citizens of Jakarta at that time became interested in using public transportation. Transjakarta, which is also introduced as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), is indeed a beloved mode of transportation because of the various advantages it offers. Flexible mobility, affordable costs, special lanes and shaded bus stops, as well as an integrated payment and information system, which really spoil its users.

The presence of Transjakarta in the capital’s public transportation network is increasingly popular with the appearance of the new logo in 2014. All Transjakarta buses issued the following year began to use the rotating circle logo with blue gradation color, replacing the eagle logo and orange-red color scheme which now became a celebrated memory. The choice of blue gradation for all Transjakarta attributes itself has a message about safety, friendliness, comfort, and better service provided to all Transjakarta users.

To always meet the needs of its users, Transjakarta now operates 7 types of public transportation services. Starting from Transjakarta BRT services, non-BRT (non-corridor) services, free buses, Transjakarta tour buses, Transjakarta premium services, Transjakarta Cares, to microtrans. But of course, Transjakarta BRT service as Transjakarta’s first child has the most distinct memories.

Another effort Transjakarta has made is to continue to increase the number of its fleets. As of July 2020, the number of Transjakarta fleets has reached 4,079 units of large, medium, and small bus types. Transjakarta also has 13 corridors with 247 routes and an average of 5 additional routes each month. These routes can be seen on the route map on the transjakarta.go.id website.

Smart Mobility For Smart City

Transjakarta is no longer just an affordable mass transportation with public transportation campaigns. More than that, Transjakarta is now starting to take part in the sustainable development of Jakarta. This is evidenced by its motto, Smart Mobility for Smart City, and the procurement of electric buses as environmentally friendly public transportation.

The electric bus itself is Transjakarta’s newest type of transportation that is environmentally friendly, low emission, and supports the Green City concept. There are two types of electric buses currently owned by Transjakarta, namely the medium and large ones. Both have batteries that can last up to a distance of 250 kilometers, with a charging duration of four hours a day, and are equipped with a TOB (Tap on Busway) system. Electric bus trials are already implemented from July to August 2020 with satisfactory results. The plan is Transjakarta will operate 30 electric buses on Jakarta’s birthday, as a form of support for Jakarta’s aspirations in realizing Smart City 4.0.

The existence of Transjakarta from year to year has had a lot of influence on the development of public transportation in Jakarta. At the same time, Transjakarta is making people love public transportation, helping to train a culture of non-cash payments, preventing sexual harassment in public transportation with Transjakarta special pink buses for women, reducing pollution levels by operating low-emission vehicles, and many other things. For more than 17 years, what are the most memorable things you have with Transjakarta?