President Jokowi Inaugurates Two Public Transportation Terminals in W. Java

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo inaugurates Leuwipanjang Terminal and Banjar Terminal, in West Java, Saturday (03/02/2024). (Photo by: PR of Presidential Secretariat/Jay)

During his working visit to West Java province, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Saturday (02/03) inaugurated two public transportation terminals, namely Leuwipanjang Terminal in Bandung city and Banjar Terminal in Banjar city.

“By saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, this afternoon I hereby inaugurated the Leuwipanjang Terminal in Bandung city and the Banjar Terminal in Banjar city, West Java province,” President Jokowi said.

On that occasion, the President expressed hope that these new infrastructure developments would inspire a renewed public interest in using public transportation.

“This is the Leuwipanjang Terminal in Bandung City, built with a budget of Rp70 billion, truly impressive. The idea is to encourage people to switch back to using public transportation on a large scale, steering away from private vehicles and cars,” he said.

According to the President, the newly inaugurated terminals are also expected to alleviate congestion in West Java, particularly in Bandung city, which could otherwise result in economic losses for the community.

In his remarks, the Head of State revealed that the economic losses due to traffic congestion in the Greater Jakarta area (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi) amount to nearly Rp100 trillion each year.

“I appreciate this development, and hopefully, it will encourage people to shift back to using public transportation, whether it’s buses, trains, or, as in Jakarta, the MRT, LRT, Commuter Line train (KRL), and fast trains. This will significantly alleviate the congestion on our roads,” he said.

In addition, the President reiterated that the two terminals are also anticipated to enhance community mobility, both inter-city and intra-city.

In the meantime, Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi conveyed that the revitalization of Leuwipanjang Terminal and Banjar Terminal aimed to improve services for the community.

“We are revitalizing the Leuwipanjang Terminal, covering a total area of 30 thousand square meters. You saw earlier an example of the first vehicle document registration centers (Samsat) in Indonesia, and this will serve as a model for terminals across the country, where ticketing will also be digital,” the Minister said.

The Minister also expressed appreciation for the introduction of electricity-based public transportation initiated by the regional government in West Java, particularly Bandung city.

“We appreciate the West Java region and Bandung municipality area for taking the lead in introducing electric buses for urban transportation. It aligns well with the idea that mass transportation will kickstart the use of electric vehicles,” the Minister remarked. (KS/UN) (RIF/MUR)