The government's solution is a system of buses known as the Transjakarta Busway (in Indonesian as “busway”) is modern, air-conditioned and generally comfortable (as in quality of buses), but not the quality of the journey.

The system operates just like most mass-rapid transit systems in other countries, there are dedicated stations (that act as the bus-stops) that require you to buy a ticket to enter. Whilst the medium of transport is via bus, the method of transaction and entry into a bus-stop isn’t. You have to buy a ticket to enter the shelter (or bus stop), and not pay upon entry into a bus (or tap a contactless smart card for transaction). TransJakarta “halte” (bus tops) or shelters are different from ordinary bus stops. They are typically located in the median (not side) of the road and are only reached by elevated bridges.

Buses run from 5AM to 10PM daily. Ticket prices are heavily are subsidized by the state government and cost a mere 2,000 rp (S$0.29) before 7 AM, and 3,500rp (S$0.51) thereafter. Tickets are single-trip, single-entry regardless of distance. You pay the same even if you travel three stops, or if you travel from one end of the corridor to another. Passengers who change direction or move to another corridor will not need to pay again as long as they do not exit the shelter.

The routes are known as “corridors”, unlike buses that ply a more inaccessible area of the city or side-roads in towns, the design of the busway route is similar to that of a Mass Rapid Transit system, routes can only run parallel to major roads and are linearly straight; shelters are rarely skipped even where no one alights or embarks. TransJakarta currently has 10 corridors (or lines) in operation and are very similar to a mass-rapid transit system of any country in linearity, transfer and operations, it’s similar to Singapore’s SMRT’s four existing lines (NEL, EW, NS and Circle lines).

Corridor 1: Terminal Blok M – Kota (City)
Corridor 2: Pulogadung - Harmoni
Corridor 3: Kalideres - Pasar Baru
Corridor 4: Pulogadung - Dukuh Atas
Corridor 5: Kampung Melayu - Ancol
Corridor 6: Ragunan - Latuharhari
Corridor 7: Kampung Rambutan - Kampung Melayu
Corridor 8: Lebak Bulus - Harmoni
Corridor 9: Pinang Ranti - Pluit
Corridor 10: Cililitan - Tanjung Priok

If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, a Transjakarta Application map is also available to download, http://www.equinoxapps.com/apps/transjakarta/ for $1.99

http://www.rutebusway.com/

Unlike Jakarta's other buses, TransJakarta shuttle on fully dedicated lanes and passengers must use dedicated stations with “automatic” doors (most don’t work), the doors of the shelter will slide and open automatically whenever a bus arrives.
The shelters are usually found in the middle of large thoroughfares connected to both sides by overhead bridges. The passenger doors are placed higher than normal so that passengers can only board from the designated shelter.

To enter a shelter, you have to first buy a paper ticket from the counter manned by a TransJakarta staff, and then get that very piece of paper “torn” to imply entry. Tickets are still torn out of an old-fashioned ticket-booklet by a member of the staff, transactions are all made in cash (no Visa or ATM transaction available). There are no machines or slots to automate the process at all, no tap-and-go contact cards. There was an attempt several years ago to introduce a “multi-travel pass” or the JAKard, but it didn’t work and the whole system was cancelled.

The old-fashioned turnstile barriers do not work at almost all the bus-stops; those that do work have had their armatures removed to facilitate access. The bus is very crowded during rush hours.

You experience on TransJakarta will vary depending on the time and day that you get on the bus, I have been fortunate enough to get on an empty bus that enjoyed the relatively comfortable ride (seats and air-conditioning), smooth non-jarring and relatively speedy journey (dedicated lanes), and at the other extreme end of the spectrum, the buses can get EXTREMELY crowded, especially during rush hours at 7AM and 4PM and whilst people are gracious, the environment doesn’t support graciousness. I’ve been jostled, elbowed, pushed, yanked, trodden on, pressed on, pulled and what not. When the bus arrives, you will be forced forward by the force of the mass of people surging forward, there is no personal space and you have to be extremely careful with your belongings. The mass of commuters will jostle and push their way through to the entrance of the bus. Grab onto a handle as soon as you enter the bus as they move away from the stop suddenly and quickly. It is not advisable to carry bulky or large items up TransJakarta due to the extreme congestion and shaky somewhat tumulus rides that require your complete attention and strength to keep yourself standing upright,

Of all the interchanges in the whole system, Harmoni Central Interchange, this central hub is the busiest interchange and is a sole transfer point for 6 corridors, whilst this enlarged shelter has a capacity of 500 people and 6 access doors, just imagine rush-hour mass of commuters passing through this one central station, which can be several hundred thousand souls in a day. As a result, Harmoni is the craziest, busiest, most bustling mass of commuters trying very hard to get to wherever they are trying to get to, it’s a constant challenge to stand still to actually look at the system map and to determine where you want to go to because people are jostling at you from all directions.



Rare interior view (don't ask me how I managed to take this picture).


Normal non-rush hours.


Typical bus


Notice the elevated platform for passengers to align or embark from the designated bus-stop only.





The system is remarkably user-friendly by Jakartan standards, and there are visible attempts at improving the entire system since its first inception in January 2004, since then more routes and bus-stops have been added to the 10 corridors today, with newer stations having announcements, an attempt to install the “bus arrival system” at Harmoni Central and an LED displays and announcements inside newer buses.


A typical bus shelter in the median of the road.


Bus halte


Inside a busstop and gantries.