Public transportation is widely seen as the best solution to avoid prolonged congestion in densely populated cities. However, the cost of transportation across different modes in Indonesia remains relatively high, driving up annual household spending. Data from the Ministry of Transportation shows that household expenditure on transportation reaches 12.46 percent of monthly living costs, exceeding the World Bank standard of no more than 10 percent.
Dwi Ardianta Kurniawan, a researcher at the Center for Transportation and Logistics Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Pustral UGM), explained that several complex aspects need to be addressed to reduce the burden of transportation costs on the public.
First, careful residential planning is essential.
In densely populated areas, easy access to primary activity centers is needed to shorten travel distances and reduce fuel and operational costs.
“Providing adequate transportation infrastructure is also crucial to reducing congestion so that travel costs do not soar,” said Kurniawan on Thursday (Sep. 11).
Second, affordable public transportation must be provided.
In densely populated areas suffering from severe congestion, public transport is a more rational choice.
“When public transport is widely used, government subsidies become more effective because of the high passenger volume,” he explained.
In less populated regions, however, public transport remains less attractive. Beyond affordable fares, additional incentives are needed, such as convenient access to bus stops, well-designed routes, and reduced headways to increase ridership.
Third, multimodal integration plays a vital role in overcoming cost inefficiencies, especially for longer trips.
Inefficiencies often arise from travel distance, choice of transport mode, and poor interconnectivity.
An example is Jakarta’s integrated fare policy across TransJakarta, MRT Jakarta, and LRT Jakarta services, which caps fares at Rp10,000 for up to three hours of travel.
“This fare system is far more effective in reducing costs compared to paying separately for each mode,” he noted.
Lastly, digital payment systems are essential. Digitalization in public transport not only simplifies transactions but also improves evaluation and transport planning.
With controlled and recorded transactions, stakeholders can conduct an in-depth analysis of mobility patterns.
“A digital ecosystem makes business processes much more transparent. This greatly supports strategic decision-making in the future, as it is based on transparent data,” Kurniawan concluded.
Author: Jesi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Illustration: Freepik