“Buses like Metromoni, Kopami, Kopaja will be removed. We want to replace them with lower deck buses” Ahok said at the City Hall on Monday, October 3, 2016.

Ahok said that low-entry buses are more disability-friendly because disabled persons would not have to climb a few steps to get into the bus.

“This is the [kind of] world-class bus we expect to have. Jakarta has never had world-class buses, [buses] with lower deck like this. We always have to climb the steps,” he said.

According to Ahik, Transjakarta will procure 150 Scania buses and 150 other European buses. The procurement would support Jakarta administration’s plan to widen the city’s sidewalks.

The Governor has called on bus operators in Jakarta to join hands with Transjakarta. They will be paid on a per kilometer basis using public service obligation (PSO) subsidy. Ahok said those who refuse to join Transjakarta will go bankrupt. “We want Jakarta to have good buses. So that foreigners who visit Jakarta will be surprise. They will no longer see Metromini,” he said.

City-owned bus operator PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta) president director Budi Kaliwono said the bus is priced at Rp2.5 billion. The company will use the Jakarta administration budget in the form of government investment participation (PMP). “There are available funds from 2014-2016 PMP, a total of Rp2.2 trillion. We have used half of them, the remaining funds will be used to procure the buses,” Budi said.

LARISSA HUDA