Sutiyoso Recalls Jakarta's Public Transport Beginnings

Former Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso reminisced about the genesis of the city's public transportation system, a project seriously considered starting in 2003 after a period focused on post-1998 riot recovery.

Sutiyoso emphasized the critical need to address transportation issues, citing the significant direct and indirect economic losses caused by traffic congestion, which impacted productivity. He formed a team of academics and transportation experts to pinpoint the root causes of Jakarta's notorious traffic jams.

During this period, Sutiyoso conducted comparative studies in various cities, finding Bogota, Colombia, to be particularly similar to Jakarta in terms of population density and urban layout. This research exposed him to mass transit concepts like MRT, monorail, and Busway, as well as the utilization of river transport in the Netherlands.

He noted a stark imbalance in Jakarta's transportation landscape at the time, with only about 20% of people using public transport, which was often in poor condition, compared to 80% relying on private vehicles. This contrasted sharply with cities like Bogota, where public transport usage was around 80%.

Despite facing significant budget limitations and low investor confidence following the 1998 riots, Sutiyoso's administration decided to proceed with the Busway system as a starting point due to its lower cost. The first corridor, Blok M-Kota, was chosen for its high mobility rate. Today, he observes that Transjakarta has become a preferred mode of transport for many Jakartans.