"It is impossible to rely on taxis. Mass transportation would become an alternative. Hence, we have provided this bus with good services," Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said.
Tangerang, Banten (ANTARA News) - Indonesias Transportation Ministry has launched Jabodetabek Airport (JA) Connexion bus that would connect hotels and malls in Jakarta with Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said at the launching of the bus at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Tuesday that JA Connexion would serve passengers in the airport.

According to Budi, the number of passengers at the airport has reached 150 thousand per day.

"It is impossible to rely on taxis. Mass transportation would become an alternative. Hence, we have provided this bus with good services," he added.

JA Connexion would allow passengers to reach the airport from hotels and malls in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek), he reiterated.

Budi remarked that the bus would connect routes from 15 hotels and seven malls in Jabodetabek to Soekarno-Hatta airport.

The 15 hotels are Borobudur Hotel, Alila Hotel, Luminor, Sari Pan Pasific, Aryaduta, Grand Cemara, Ibis Tamarin, Milenium, Grand Sahid Jaya, Ascot, Amaris Thamrin City, Aston Sentul City, Sahid Jaya Lippo Cikarang, and Mall BTM Bogor Hotel.

The seven malls are Taman Anggrek Mall, Plaza Senayan, ITC Cempaka Mas, Kelapa Gading, Thamrin City and Tanah abang, BTM Bogor, and Grand Indonesia.

As many as 91 buses would serve the routes, operated by four companies, namely DAMRI, PPD, Big Bird, and Sinar Jaya Megah Langgeng.

"This mode of transportation would be helpful for the public. We appreciate the operators who have provided the bus. In the future, I will ask the operators to increase the number of buses to 1 thousand units," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, chief of the Jabodetabek Transportation Managing Body Elly Adriana Sinaga revealed that JA Connexion would impose two different fees.

Passengers from Soekarno-Hatta airport to the hotels would have to pay Rp50 thousand per passenger, while those from the airport to malls would have to pay Rp25 thousand per passenger.

Elly revealed that JA Connexion is expected to reduce traffic congestion in those cities, as people would prefer to use the mass transportation to reach the airport.

"In the future, we hope that more hotels could be served by this JA Connexion and more operators could participate. Thus, people would be interested to use public transportation and leave their cars at home," Elly remarked.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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