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The Minister Of Transportation Says We Need Breakthroughs To Get More Regions On Board With Urban Mass Transit
Friday, 11 Oct 2024
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi highlighted the need for various initiatives and breakthroughs to ensure more regions can support urban mass transit. He shared this message in a video during his keynote speech at the National Seminar on "Public Policy Aspects in Urban Transportation Systems Based on Mass Public Transport" at Diponegoro University in Semarang on Thursday (10/10).
The Minister pointed out that local governments have not fully optimized their authority in managing urban transportation. "We need innovative steps so that more local governments can effectively support and independently manage mass public transport," he stated.
He emphasized the importance of enhancing the use of mass public transport as a solution to urban issues. According to BPS data, about 57% of Indonesia's 277 million population lives in urban areas, a figure expected to rise to 66.6% by 2035.
With increasing urbanization in Indonesia, the demand for efficient and comfortable public transport is becoming more urgent. Improved mobility in urban areas will require the provision of mass public transport to avoid congestion, which affects public health and quality of life.
"This makes urban transportation a strategic issue for both the present and the future," the Minister remarked.
He also mentioned that developing mass transport infrastructure is a top priority for the government to enhance connectivity and reduce traffic jams. While major cities like Jakarta, Solo, Semarang, and Bogor have made significant progress in mass transport development, many other regions still face challenges regarding infrastructure availability, system integration, and service levels.
The management of urban mass transportation is legally under the authority of local governments, but not all regions are able to implement it effectively.
The Minister of Transportation mentioned that the government is actively promoting the use of public mass transport through various initiatives, including providing subsidies through a Buy The Service (BTS) scheme.
According to Law No. 22 of 2009 and Law No. 23 of 2014, urban transportation management falls under local government jurisdiction, yet many areas struggle to execute it optimally. To assist with this, the Ministry of Transportation is offering subsidies through the "buy the service" model, as stated by the Minister.
Currently, the Ministry has committed to providing subsidy incentives through the buy the service scheme in 14 cities (Palembang, Medan, Bali, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Makassar, Banyumas, Banjarmasin, Bandung, Surabaya, Balikpapan, Bogor, Bekasi, and Depok), serving up to 75 million people. Meanwhile, only about 20 local governments have committed to providing mass public transport funded by their regional budgets.
The Minister hopes that this seminar will lead to policy recommendations and encourage local governments to support urban mass transportation.
Through this seminar, it is expected to offer insights and recommendations from a public policy perspective to both central and local governments, aiming to improve urban transportation management in the future. This seminar is also seen as a chance to provide policy recommendations, especially with the upcoming simultaneous regional elections.
"This should serve as a reminder of the strategic importance and commitment to managing urban transportation," the Minister concluded.
