While delivering his remarks via video broadcast during a national seminar at Diponegoro University here on Thursday, the minister stressed that urban transport is within the purview of local administrations.
"However, not all regional authorities have been able to optimally fulfill their responsibilities in setting up public transportation systems," Sumadi noted.
He pointed out that of the hundreds of cities and districts in Indonesia, only 20 local administrations have committed to developing public transportation using their own budgets.
The minister highlighted the need for breakthroughs to convince local authorities of the importance of public transportation and encourage them to independently establish systems with minimal or no assistance from the central government.
To support more local authorities in developing public transportation, the ministry is providing a "buy-the-service" scheme stimulus to 14 cities across the country.
These cities include Palembang, Medan, Bali, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Makassar, Banyumas, Banjarmasin, Bandung, Surabaya, Balikpapan, Bogor, Bekasi, and Depok.
He emphasized that developing public transportation is an effective strategy to alleviate congestion in urban areas, which can negatively impact the local economy and public health.
Sumadi said Indonesia ranks 29th globally in terms of traffic congestion. The average travel time for a 10-kilometer journey is 22 minutes and 40 seconds.
In Jakarta, traffic congestion has resulted in annual economic losses of Rp64 trillion (US$4.1 billion). Semarang, Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, and Makassar cities combined have recorded losses of Rp12 trillion (US$769.42 million) due to traffic congestion, the minister pointed out.
The rector of Diponegoro University, Suharnomo, stated that mobility is a crucial issue in urban centers and should be addressed appropriately by local authorities.
He also noted that transportation is a key indicator of the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), emphasizing the importance of public transportation for economic development.
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Translator: Ahmad Muzdaffar F, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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