TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - City-owned bus operator PT Transportasi Jakarta took over the operation of Transjakarta buses from Public Services Department of the Jakarta administration’s Transportation Agency on March 27, 2015—the day the city-owned agency celebrated its first anniversary.

The Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) said Transjakarta buses still required improvements—viewed from their operation, service and infrastructure viewpoints. “Everything should be improved,” MTI head Danang Parikesit told Tempo on Sunday, April 5, 2015.

Danang said on the operation standpoint that corridor one was the only Transjakarta corridor meeting the minimum operation standards, which among them regulated that Transjakarta lanes should be sterile of other vehicles and integrated with other transport modes. “Corridor one is the only one well-planned,” he said.

Danang hoped the takeover would bring about improvements to Transjakarta buses—what with PT Transportasi Jakarta’s planned acquisition of other public transports, such as Kopaja and Metro Mini micro buses and the integrated bus network (APTB). “We’ll see,” he said.

Danang, however, said he had been against the APTB system since the first place, explaining Transjakarta routes should be extended to Bogor, Depok and Tangerang as opposed to adopting the APTB. “Conceptually, this is inaccurate,” he said.

He added that Transjakarta services were also still a far cry from the public’s expectations, including on the waiting time, which had reaped frequent complaints. “The solution is to provide more buses,” he said.

Danang also highlighted the poor Transjakarta infrastructure, including its shelters, saying many of them had been poorly maintained and often caught fire. “Many shelters are damaged,” he said.

ERWAN HERMAWAN