Riding around Jakarta by Transjakarta buses can be a rewarding experiences, especially for Asian Games athletes and officials who want to visit places of interest such as National Monument, Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature Park (Taman Mini Indonesia Indah), Fantasy Land, and Ancol Dream Land.
Ancol Dream Land, where Fantasy Land is located, is a complex of all kinds of many performing arts in the country, the native Jakartan form of theater known as lenong, and many others.
A free ride to National Monument in Central Jakarta will enable the Asian Games athletes and officials to take an elevator ride to the viewing platform, where they can get a bird`s eye view of Jakarta.
The basement of the monument houses a museum of the nation`s history and a "Hall of Silence". Near the National Monument is a statue of Prince Diponegoro on horseback, who fought the Dutch in the Java War from 1825 to 1830.
PT Transjakarta President Director Budi Kaliwono remarked on Monday that the tour and shopping services provided by his party are divided into shopping and entertainment tours to enjoy art and cultural attractions from 10 am to 10 pm Western Indonesia Standard Time (WIB).
Hence, Transjakarta provides 350 special bus units to serve the 2018 Asian Games athletes and contingents, and take them from the Athletes` Houses to match venues and vice versa.
The operational hours of the special bus for athletes are also adjusted to the match schedule which ends at 10 pm WIB.
In addition to the buses for athletes, Transjakarta also provides shuttle buses specifically for visitors or Asian Games spectators at Gelora Bung Karno stadium.
A total of 10 shuttle buses are available to serve visitors with the Palmerah Station route and totour the Gelora Bung Karno area.
In addition, there are special double-decked buses for Asian Games athletes and contingents who want to go shopping or travel in the capital.
Previously, the Transjakarta president director said that in addition to athletes, officials, and volunteers, his party also provides free Transjakarta bus services for people who want to watch Asian Games matches directly in the arena.
According to him, the free service is only valid on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Residents simply show the match ticket at the Transjakarta bus stop, later there will be special buses that will take them to the match arena.
In order to succeed in organizing the 2018 Asian Games, the Jakarta Transportation Office provides thousands of fleets to
support the smooth running of the Asian Games athletes parade to be held on August 18, 2018.
Jakarta Transportation Office spokesman Andri Yansyah remarked here recently that 1,681 fleets have been prepared to guard the parade of the Asian Games athletes.
He said that of the 1,681 fleets, 306 brand new ones comprised 177 units of 250-cc motorbikes, 45 patrol cars, 44 tow trucks, 34 units of 650-cc motorcycles, four operational cars, and two 1,600-cc motorbikes.
"Some 306 new fleets were purchased to strengthen the operational guard fleet of the Asian Games athletes, both while traveling to the competition arena and returning to the Athletes` House in Kemayoran," Yansyah remarked.
Furthermore, Yansyah noted that his side had also prepared 350 Transjakarta buses to mobilize athletes and officials during the 2018 Asian Games.
People keen on watching the Asian Games matches directly at the arena can take as many as 1,700 Transjakarta buses, that will help
to transport the residents directly to the arena.
Especially on holidays and Sundays, the residents can use the buses free of charge.
For school children, the Jakarta Transportation Office will provide school buses that will take them to the arena of the competition. It has added 50 more from the existing 120 school buses.
Thus, he also expressed hope that the school buses would be able to cater to students keen on watching the Asian Games matches directly at the venues.
In addition, the Indonesian government also makes available hundreds of buses to facilitate smooth transportation in Jakarta during the Asian Games from Aug 18 to Sept 2, 2018.
The plan to provide hundreds of buses is part of the three transportation policies to ensure the success of the pan-Asian multi-sport event, Chief of the Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi Transportation Management Board Bambang Prihartono noted in a press statement released recently.
The three policies deal with traffic engineering management, public transportation, and cargo transportation, he noted.
The mode of public transportation includes 107 Transjakarta buses to serve routes leading to the venues of competitions and 204 additional Transjakarta buses to transport private car owners affected by the odd-even license plate policy.
The board also provides 40 buses for those traveling from hotels to the venues of competitions, 10 buses for those traveling from the Soekarno-Hatta Airport to the venues of competitions, and 41 recreational buses for athletes and officials.
People can travel free of charge on buses plying from the airport and hotels to the venues of competitions as well as on the recreational buses.
Hence, the Transportation Ministry has handed over 300 buses to the INASGOC to be used to facilitate transportation for athletes and officials during the multi-sport event.
Of the 300 buses, 100 will be operated in Palembang, South Sumatra; 170 in Jakarta; and the remaining in the provinces of West Java and Banten.
In Palembang, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system, besides the buses, will be used as a special mode of transportation for participants of the Asian Games, in which 45 countries and members of the Asian Games committee will participate.
Reporter: Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Andi Abdussalam
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
