World’s largest public bus system begins transition to electric vehicles

Public transit passengers in Indonesia’s capital may soon notice a new green addition to their commute.

In line with Governor Anies Baswedan’s vision to make Jakarta one of the greenest cities in the world, the Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit System is rolling out a trial programme of electric buses on certain routes in the city.

Serving almost 200 million riders every year, Jakarta’s bus rapid transit system is the largest in the world. And the ridership is growing, as the government adds new routes and more buses to unclog the notorious traffic jams that plague the capital.

Testing of the buses began on public roads in late April. Transjakarta plans to take on passengers as testing progresses and appropriate permits arrive.

The transition to electric vehicles is a logical next step to fight a more dangerous irritant for Jakartans than traffic: air pollution. Increasing numbers of vehicles, coal power and burning land for agricultural purposes have steadily driven down air quality in the city. On bad days, Jakarta can find itself top of list of the most polluted cities in the world.

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