Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, or mass transit) is the transport of passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public, typically managed on a schedule, operated on established routes, and that charge a posted fee for each trip. Public transport includes city buses, trolleybuses, trams (or light rail) and passenger trains, rapid transit (metro/subway/underground, etc.), and ferries. Airlines, coaches, and intercity rail dominate public transport between cities. High-speed rail networks are being developed in many parts of the world.
Public transportation is all means of transportation when passengers are not traveling using their vehicles. Public transportation generally includes trains and buses but also includes airline services, ferries, taxis, and others. Public transportation is a means to move people and goods from one place to another.
The goal is to help people or groups reach the desired place, or send goods from the place of origin to the destination. The benefits of transportation can be seen in various people's lives which can be grouped into three parts, namely economic, social and political benefits.
The increasing number of private vehicles that exceed the limit has caused many problems, especially in urban areas. Congestion is starting to appear everywhere, the limited space for parking vehicles also creates its own problems, air pollution that pollutes the environment is increasingly worrying, as well as the death rate caused by traffic accidents is also increasing rapidly.
The development of transportation infrastructure is one of the important stages to make Indonesia a developed country in 2045 by the vision of President Joko Widodo and Vice President KH. Ma'ruf Amin in the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet. This was conveyed by the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi at the 2019 Ministry of Transportation Work Meeting in Jakarta, Tuesday (3/12).
"Through transportation infrastructure, the wheels of the economy will continue to move and have an impact on economic growth and equitable development. In the end, it can increase the competitiveness of our nation," explained Minister of Transportation Budi.
Minister of Transportation Budi explained that the success of his staff did not stop at building infrastructure alone, but furthermore, how useful the development had been for the community.
"The mandate given by the President regarding connectivity is an enormous responsibility and is not easy to implement. For example, in building the South Sumatra LRT, we are not only finished building it, but we are trying to make headway faster, how the travel time is shorter so that there are more passengers. That is our success," said the Minister of Transportation.
"With this reflection, will motivate us to work by prioritizing the public interest, not based on personal interests, political interests, or bureaucratic interests. Let's think about the progress of transportation in Indonesia, if not us, then who else?" he said.
Developed Countries That Prioritize Public Transportation
Many developed countries already use public transportation as the main transportation, such as Finland, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and so on.
Some of these developed countries may be used as examples of the development of public transportation that is of interest to the people.
The majority of the population uses public transportation to travel to various destinations. Public transportation in some developed countries is very popular because it is cheap, arrives faster because it has special road access, and has wide coverage to remote cities.
Not to mention a well-integrated rail network and road network that is connected with other modes to various cities. A network of bus and tram transportation modes that connect residents from the suburbs to the city center or vice versa, to reduce the level of congestion that usually occurs at certain hours in the country's cities.
One country that needs to be looked at in general transportation management is South Korea. This country already has relatively advanced transportation management/management compared to other countries in the world.
Public transportation is known to be very safe and comfortable.
South Korea relies heavily on rail transportation for mass public transportation. Trains are the mainstay of the country to overcome the tight and congested mobility of the people. South Korea also relies on public buses with strict and regular schedules and routes that are connected to various other supporting transportation networks throughout the country.
Then Japan is a country with a very good rail transportation system that covers all over the country. The transportation system in Japan is known for its timely and highly efficient service, especially in metropolitan areas and large cities. No wonder people prefer to use public transportation over private vehicles.
Then Indonesia is in the order of what? Unfortunately, Indonesia itself is ranked 66 out of 140 countries. Even though Indonesia currently has the MRT, LRT, and Commuter Line subways, this is still considered uneven throughout the archipelago. Apart from this, the level of connectivity between one mode of transportation and another is still not good.
There are still many things that need to be improved by the leaders of this nation, especially in terms of infrastructure quality, security, safety, and equity in remote areas. The transportation system is indeed one of the most important things in the progress of a nation. However, even a good transportation system must be supported by qualified human resources, one of which is human resources who are willing and understand a rule, including traffic regulations.
And also in Singapore, public transportation services are very indulgent for its residents. Here, there are modes of transportation (MRT), buses, and taxis that are well-connected. MRT is the fastest way to travel in this Merlion Country. The bus network also reaches almost all areas with very affordable fares. If you want to be more comfortable and practical, you can choose a taxi as an alternative even though the fare is more expensive, especially at certain hours. Thanks to the quality of its systems and infrastructure, Singapore is ranked second in terms of transportation.
Urban public transport differs greatly between Asia, North America, and Europe. In Asia, mass transit and real estate conglomerates that are profit-driven, privately owned and publicly traded largely operate the public transit system. In North America, city transit authorities most often operate mass transit operations.
In Europe, both state-owned and private companies operate mostly mass transit systems. Public transport services can be profit-driven by using pay-per-distance fares or funded by government subsidies where a fixed fare is charged to each passenger.
Services can be fully profitable through high user numbers and high rate recovery ratios or can be regulated and may be subsidized from local or national tax revenues. A fully supported free service operates in several cities and towns.
Advantages of Using Public Transportation
Seeing the number of countries that have started to prioritize the use of public transportation, Indonesia should also learn from these countries. The importance of public transportation has advantages for state revenues as well as benefits for society.
By using public transportation there is a 45% emission reduction potential, then saving $5 trillion in annual spending by 2050, and there are 4.6 million quality jobs created.
From an economic perspective, public transportation is very important for the country's economy. Because it creates and provides access to more and better-paid jobs, and gives employers access to the skills they need. Good quality public transport attracts businesses to cities and allows them to thrive.
From a climate perspective, improving public transport and designing nearby cities to reduce car dependency could offset 20-45% of the total emission reductions needed to ease global warming to 1.5C.
Then from a social perspective, everyone in the city benefits from public transportation, whether through access to jobs, education, health care, culture, and entertainment, or traffic jams, pollution, and road accidents.
And finally, from a health perspective, better air quality risks reducing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, creating healthier cities. People who use public transport are more physically active than people who drive. In addition, public transport makes roads safer by reducing the dominance of motorized traffic. And it remains one of the safest ways to move.
Planning and the Importance of Indonesian Public Transportation in the Future
The lack of public interest and the use of public transportation in Indonesia makes traffic congestion has existed in urban areas for many years ago. Transport infrastructure and congestion issues are high on the agenda of such urban problems and reinforce the need for a broader view in tackling urban transport problems than hitherto generally employed.
Indonesia has 15 major cities with over 1 million inhabitants. Public transport in these cities is scarce and unreliable, with a low usage rate (5%-20% of trips). Hardly any consideration is given to non-motorized transport.
Cities need to enhance their technical expertise to plan, design, implement, and operate public transport systems; increase the funds to develop mass transit systems; and strengthen institutional capacity to integrate transport and spatial planning more closely.
Based on an article by the lecturer of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Gadjah Mada University, Ahmad Munawar, there are four important aspects of the Indonesian Development Plan.
According to the Indonesian Development Plan, traffic management strategies should be implemented as follows:
- Development of a mass transportation system that should be well-run with reasonable price, efficient and safe,
- Development of the road network which has the least negative environmental and social impact,
- Development integrated public transport system, and
- Development of traffic management strategies to achieve high efficiency and high quality of service.
Indonesia has experienced a drastic rise in motorized transport over the last two decades, caused by subsidized fuel, rising incomes, and low-interest rates for vehicle loans.
In combination with the limited infrastructure, rapid motorization exacerbates the adverse environmental impact of transport: the sector currently accounts for 70%-80% of all outdoor air pollution in the country (including particulate matters), and 23% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Low transport infrastructure performance and capacity are one of the most critical barriers hindering Indonesia's competitiveness and fueling social inequality across the archipelago. Indonesia ranked only 63rd in the 2016 Logistics Performance Index.
The country's global ranking has decreased by ten positions since 2014, mainly due to the deterioration of its infrastructure---one of the worst within the Association of Southeast Asia Nations countries (ASEAN), and far behind its closest neighbors such as Malaysia or Singapore.
Sound transport strategies and policies will be crucial to boosting Indonesia's economic growth and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goal 9 to ''build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation'' and Goal 11 to "make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable".
Based on the article by transport consultant Tomás Herrero Diez entitled "How can Indonesia achieve a more sustainable transport system?", there are several important priorities Indonesia must tackle to develop a more sustainable transport system:
- Expansion and modernization of the maritime, rail, and air networks to increase transport efficiency across the nation
- Creating efficient, affordable, and green public transport networks in the main urban areas, including by building more Bus Rapid Transit, light rail, or heavy rail systems, and by investing in energy-efficient, low-emission public transport vehicles
- Developing infrastructure, policies, and communications to encourage the use of non-motorized transport, including safer corridors for pedestrians and cyclists
- Promoting the implementation of stricter vehicle emissions standards to improve vehicle energy efficiency
- Restricting private car use through the implementation of fees in heavily-congested areas
- Encouraging the use of electric vehicles through incentives, such as tax exemptions and the construction of a wide network of charging stations
- Enhancing private sector participation and limiting the role of State-Owned Enterprises to foster a more competitive environment.
By developing the Bus Transit Rapid (BRT) system, Indonesia needs to learn from Singapore in managing mass transportation (BRT) from time to time, in terms of implementing 3 in 1 in Singapore, as at the beginning of the jockeying. But in the end, it can be eliminated, namely by implementing an ERP (Electronic Road Pricing) system so that public transportation in Singapore is currently very convenient.
However, for the sake of smooth integrated public transportation, Indonesia is currently in need of an injection of funds. As discussed by Plt. Assistant Deputy for Connectivity Infrastructure, Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment Lukijanto said Indonesia needed funding from the private sector to finance the development of integrated public transportation in urban areas.
This is because state finances are very limited, while the need for public transportation development must be implemented as quickly as possible.
"The integration of funding sources for the development of mass transportation is of course with the limited APBN allocation for the infrastructure sector and limited regional fiscal capacity, so funding initiated by loans or grants also needs to be integrated with other creative funding sources," he said at the 2022 Sustainable Transportation Forum in Bali International Convention Center, Thursday (20/10).
According to him, cities are being targeted because they contribute about 75 percent of Indonesia's carbon emissions. Thus, the development of integrated public transportation is one solution so that people can switch from private vehicles.
"We also know that the transportation sector is the third largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Indonesia. Therefore, we need to carry out a transformation, namely the transportation sector towards sustainable transportation," he explained.
"Well, of course, this is done with various strategies for developing urban mass public transportation systems. One of them is a plan for sustainable urban mobility and integration," he explained.
He considered this development to be a necessity because the transportation industry, apart from being the largest carbon emitter, also consumes a large budget from subsidies.
This is reflected in this year's energy subsidies, which swelled more than three times from the previous Rp170 trillion to Rp502 trillion due to the increase in world oil prices. So, this step in addition to reducing carbon emissions also eases the burden of state budget subsidies.
"Therefore, the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries continues to coordinate the acceleration of the development of the electric vehicle ecosystem, including public transportation as a solution so that the CO2 produced is much lower and at the same time as a fuel-saving solution," he concluded.
The Ministry of Transportation has also rolled out the Teman Bus Buy The Service (BTS) Program. This program is expected to arouse the enthusiasm of the regions to improve their transportation sector, especially inviting people to return to using public transportation for transportation in their daily activities.
The Teman Bus Buy The Service (BTS) program, which was previously a pull strategy for the Central Government by providing 100 percent operational subsidies for regions, is expected to push in each region by increasing public interest in using public transportation, for example by requiring civil servants the state always uses public transportation, and provides transportation convenience and expands the network to various destinations so that people are interested in using public transportation for various purposes.
Although the Friends of Bus BTS will have to pay later, the comfort and safety of transportation can be relied on, and the transportation costs are also more efficient when compared to using your vehicle.
The Ministry of Transportation's efforts to encourage people to use public transportation is continuously being encouraged. The effort to encourage people to use public transportation is to improve the performance of mass transportation in Indonesia so that it is easy to use, desirable, and comfortable
Through this momentum, the Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi, also re-socialized the National Movement to Return to Public Transport. Through this program, the Ministry of Transportation invites people to return to using public transportation such as buses and trains.
Therefore, Indonesia can become a country that prioritizes public transportation like other developed countries, but it all depends on the people's desire to use public transportation.
Indonesian people need to learn from foreign people who understand the importance and benefits of using public transportation for the common good.
