Jakarta. Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung expressed confidence on Wednesday that the latest increase in fuel prices will encourage more commuters to use the capital's public transportation system.

He said the city administration plans to launch a major campaign promoting public transit as part of broader efforts to reduce dependence on private vehicles.

“I will actively promote the use of public transportation. Jakarta's public transport connectivity has now reached 93%. However, the share of residents who regularly use public transportation remains below 30%,” Pramono said in Jakarta.

According to the governor, rising fuel costs could provide an additional incentive for motorists to shift to buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation.

Earlier in the day, state-owned energy company Pertamina raised the price of its flagship Pertamax gasoline by 32.1%, from Rp 12,300 ($0.68) to Rp 16,250 ($0.90) per liter.

The company also increased the price of Pertamax Green 95 by 31.78%, from Rp 12,900 to Rp 17,000 per liter.

Pramono stressed that affordable fares remain critical to encouraging public transport use and said the city has no plans to eliminate subsidies for transit services.

“There is no way the service will stop being subsidized. It will continue to receive subsidies. However, some adjustments will need to be made,” he said.

One service under review is the TransJakarta route connecting the Blok M business district and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Authorities are considering adjusting the current fare of Rp 3,500 ($0.19), which is significantly lower than alternative transportation options.

“By comparison, the cheapest airport bus service costs around Rp 80,000 ($4.45), while a taxi ride typically costs about Rp 200,000 ($11.14). Even parking fees at Soekarno-Hatta Airport are higher than Rp 3,500. Those are the kinds of areas where adjustments may be necessary,” Pramono said.

He explained that part of the city's subsidy burden stems from its responsibility for maintaining numerous transport facilities outside Jakarta's administrative boundaries.

Nevertheless, Pramono said any fare adjustments would be carefully calibrated to avoid discouraging ridership.

He noted that Jakarta residents now have access to an increasingly integrated transportation network, including the Jakarta MRT, Jakarta LRT, TransJakarta, Transjabodetabek services, Mikrotrans buses, and the JakLingko integrated fare system.

Pramono said the planned campaign is intended to build a long-term culture of public transport use among residents and commuters.

“Jakarta will become more comfortable and manageable if the roughly 3.5 million to 4 million people who travel into the city each morning and return home in the evening continue to rely on public transportation,” he said.

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