An old Kopaja bus.
Could this be the start of a truly organized public transportation in Jakarta?
Koperasi Angkutan Jakarta (Kopaja), those white-and-green hunks of junk that cough up black smoke wherever they go, could undergo a complete revival after the company today agreed to join up with PT Transjakarta.
Crucially, this means that Kopaja buses will cease to ‘ngetem’ (stopping to drop off or pick up passengers in the middle of the road) in order to collect as many fares as possible.
“We will be paid on a ‘rupiah per kilometer’ basis. We will be used to realize the public’s needs for public transportation in housing areas. We will be placed to serve that need. Later, PT Transjakarta will determine our routes of operation,” said chairman of Kopaja Nanang Basuki at City Hall today, as quoted by Kompas.
The company will also get rid of old Kopaja buses and replace them with new, cleaner and air-conditioned models. They currently have 120 buses that meet the city’s requirements, with 200 more getting fixed up and should be ready in 2-3 months.
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