So, take this. I lived in Jakarta for almost 2 years. I don't have any private vehicles. I cannot drive because I am broke. I cannot walk because this is a car-centric city and motorbikes are reckless as f--k (golden ticket to ER). Sure, I have a plan to own a bicycle, yet still comes short to fulfill my transportation needs.

Looking at the title, I am sure you already guessed what I want to talk about. If you still prefer cars to clog our traffic and restrict our mobility, I understand 🙂.

Yay Public Transportation

I got hooked on public transportation ever since I was stuck inside a small circle surrounded by noisy and scary traffic. Luckily, Jakarta has done the right thing and introduced its mass transit system. It consists of metro, bus, and train.

I will start on their bus because it works in a slightly different way than your usual bus. This bus transit system is operated by Transjakarta, a provincial state-run company (yes, the bus transit system is not nationalized). Founded in 2004, this company began to roll its wheels on its first corridor for just 2K IDR until 2012 when the tariff was raised to 3.5K where it stayed ever since.

Picking the right bus

Hold your butts a while. You cannot just assume that all buses are equal. There are superior and distinct types of buses that I will describe below.

In terms of stops, there are two types of buses.

• BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) = This bus will stop at a dedicated bus station. Imagine this as an MRT stop but way smaller and only accessible by foot.
• Non-BRT = This is your usual bus that stops beside a pedestrian path.

In terms of tiers, there are several tiers that I did not care about due to how exclusive it is.

• Regular = A normal boring bus. Perfect for your everyday commuting. 3500 IDR for a ride. Regular BusSource
• Royal = Luxury type of bus. Fewer seats for fewer selected people. Only available for certain routes and certain times. Tickets must be obtained from their app. Royaltrans. Notice the purple shadeSource
• Sightseeing = Personally, I never hop on this type of bus, nevertheless it is free so I recommend you try it yourself with the expenses of being packed by tourists. Sightseeing double-decker busSource
• Microbus (Mikrotrans) = Free-to-ride microbuses that ride into the inner part of the city. I will make a separate page about this one. MicrobusSource

Ok enough for the essay. Price, please :)

Here's why I like commuting or traveling using Transjakarta.

What makes this transportation different is the tariffs. The tariffs are fixed. Meaning, that even if you travel for 1 stop or 50 stops, the tariff is still the same. No strings attached.

You can ride the bus for free if you belong in these categories:

• 60 years or older
• Disabled
• Veterans
• Mosque committee member
• Early Learning Teacher
• Soldier or Police

Otherwise, here is the pricelist

• Regular (BRT/Non-BRT) = 3500K IDR
• Royal = 20000K IDR
• Sightseeing = 0K IDR. Yups, it is f-in free
• Microbus = 0K IDR.

You can use this cheap facility by using prepaid cards (Flazz, E-Money, and others) or buying a one-way ticket using their app.

What did I expect from this bus?

This is what you should expect

Common interiorSource

There are two columns of seats that either stick along the wall or face the front way. Each seat might be soft or hard. It depends on the bus.

There are also rows of seats that are prioritized for disabled, seniors, pregnant moms, or baby-carrying moms. Technically you are allowed to sit there AS LONG AS there are no people in this category inside. So, take the seats and enjoy your ride, but if you ever spot one of the people inside the categories, I require you to give up your seats. If you are inside one of those special categories, You can ask any people to give up their seat to you given you are incapable of standing up for long.

They also offer a hand-holder for people who prefer to stand on their feet during a ride.

In every bus, there are spaces exclusively for women; addressing the concern of widespread sexual assault by mostly thirsty degenerates.

Any tips before I go commute or ride?

As someone who routinely rides this great bus, here are some tips for you to get started:

1. Make sure you have enough credit on your prepaid cards. They will reject your card if you have 5K or less credits.
2. Research. You need to know where to enter, where to transit, and where to exit. Use Google Maps or Moovit.
3. Keep your belongings safe. Do not let that sense of safety dictate your way to secure your bags.
4. If you are a woman, please occupy the woman-only space. Not only to guarantee your safety from assault, but you can also give more space to men/boys.
5. Check their maps here. If you still need guidance, ask the officers there.

Is this the perfect transportation for me

Definitely. It is well-integrated with every corner of the well-known area. You can take a ride to Monas, Blok M, Grand Indonesia Mall, and others for a single flat fare.

However, you need a bit of knowledge of which bus stop will be your next or final stop. Sure, the official map helps, yet you still need to get very used to their integration system. Just take your time.

One more thing, always keep updated with their Twitter or Instagram (actually, there are two of them). There will be a frequent update about temporary route changes, closure of a stop, and others.

Get off your seat and walk

I ask you to get out of your private vehicle. I admit it is so fun because I do not need to find another parking lot. Plus I can walk around as far as I please without worrying about my vehicle getting stolen in the park or whatever.

I admit that this is not the perfect transit system. It needs a lot of reform. The station is mostly old and claustrophobic during rush hour, the tapping system breaks frequently, and they did not even bother to add more buses to the jammed corridor (1st or 9th for example).

Nevertheless, it is so much better than forcing people to afford a private vehicle.