"Indonesia faces many challenges in the transportation sector, from severe traffic jams and high logistics costs to the dominance of road-based transportation," the ministry's director general for transportation modes and integration, Risal Wasal, stated here on Friday.
According to Wasal, the solution is to develop an integrated transportation system that covers multiple modes of travel which connect several places. He emphasized that developing the transportation system requires not only building infrastructure but also creating a fully interconnected system.
Hence, the approach in the transportation system must be transformed to enable a seamless travel experience, such as a unified ticketing system for various travel modes and smooth transit connections, he noted.
"This represents the face of modern transportation that we are currently developing," he stressed.
The rampant use of private vehicles, comprising 140 million motorbikes and 20 million cars, worsens traffic congestion and carbon emissions, particularly in urban areas.
For example, in the Greater Jakarta Area, daily carbon emissions from transportation reach 270 kg, accounting for 79 percent of the region's total emissions.
He highlighted that Indonesia's logistics costs account for 14.29 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), much higher than its neighboring countries. Moreover, Indonesia's logistics performance index is low at 3.0, compared to Singapore's 4.3, Malaysia's 3.6, and Vietnam's 3.3.
Wasal stated that a multimode integrated transportation system supports public mobility, productivity, and efficiency; promotes equitable development; and increases the value of national logistics.
Some successful initiatives include the Dukuh Atas Transit Oriented Development and Halim Station, which integrates the rapid train, LRT, TransJakarta, and pedestrian walkways, he noted.
"In Dukuh Atas, this integration even increased property prices by 50 percent and revitalized the nearby business areas," he remarked.
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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Primayanti
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