Transjakarta Corridor 1

Background

The idea of implementing the bus rapid transit system in Jakarta was conceived in 2001 by the Governor of Jakarta at the time, Sutiyoso. The idea was supported by the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other parties.^[5]

Corridor 1's route, from Blok M Terminal to Jakarta Kota station, was planned to pass through Sudirman Blvd and M.H. Thamrin Blvd. These roads are the main arteries in Jakarta's central economic and governmental hub, known as the Golden Triangle. The route was chosen to address traffic congestion when efforts to build a subway system, proposed by B. J. Habibie in 1985 and then by Sutiyoso in 1998, could not be realised.^[6]

Corridor construction

The construction of Corridor 1 commenced in mid-2003, marked by the installation of "KHUSUS BUSWAY (BUS LANE)" signs on pedestrian bridges and red markings denoting the dedicated bus lane.^[7] Construction of new bus stations and exclusive lanes began in late 2003, and was accompanied by a public awareness campaign.^[8] However, the construction disrupted heavy traffic on Sudirman Blvd and M.H. Thamrin Blvd during peak hours, prompting numerous public complaints.^[9]

Early operations

On 15 January 2004, during a heavy donwpour, Governor Sutiyoso inaugurated Corridor 1 at Gelora Bung Karno BRT station (now Senayan Bank Jakarta).^[10]

With the availability of the Transjakarta Busway as a fast, safe, comfortable, on-time, and affordable public transportation option, it is hoped that this will be an alternative for all parties, especially for those who use personal cars.

The inauguration of Corridor 1 sparked strong enthusiasm among Jakarta residents, as shown by overcrowding at Kota and Gelora Bung Karno stations and on bus fleets. Despite a positive reception, transportation expert Darmaningtyas criticised Corridor 1's operation six days earlier.^[10]

There is no integral concept regarding the Busway in Jakarta. So the concept of the Busway was raised, but it was not accompanied by an integral concept that included feeder services, pedestrian facilities, and special lanes for non-motorised vehicles (e.g., bicycles).

Further developments

• In 2009, the Monas (now Monumen Nasional) station, which had a small building form, was expanded to accommodate Corridors 1 and 2 passengers.
• On 23 January 2012, 102 articulated buses with a higher passenger capacity began operating to accommodate the high passenger density.^[2][3]
• In 2014, due to the construction of Jakarta MRT Phase 1, several BRT stations along Corridor 1 were either relocated or closed. Masjid Agung, Bundaran Senayan, and Karet, were relocated.^[11] Stations that were closed and demolished were Setiabudi^[a][11] and Bundaran HI (now Bundaran HI Astra).^[12] Bundaran HI station was rebuilt after the MRT construction concluded in 2019, but Setiabudi station was not.
• On 1 June 2014, Corridor 1 began 24-hour service, along with Corridors 3 and 9.^[13][14] At the time, the night service only stopped at certain bus stations. Later, all bus stations were served by the night service.
• In late 2018, three pedestrian bridges providing access to the Bundaran Senayan, Gelora Bung Karno, and Polda Metro Jaya stations were revitalised, with completion in March 2019.^[15] Following this, the revitalisation of the Karet pedestrian bridge, which provides access to the Karet Sudirman (now Karet) station, was inaugurated in April 2021 and March 2022, respectively.^[16]
• On 24 March 2019, coinciding with the inauguration of the MRT, the rebuilt Bundaran HI station became the first BRT station directly linked to an MRT station, although the connecting access was only a flight of stairs with wheelchair access.^[17][18]
• Due to the construction of the MRT Phase 2A, Bank Indonesia (now Kebon Sirih), Harmoni, Sawah Besar, and Mangga Besar stations were relocated to temporary buildings. The temporary building of the Bank Indonesia station began operations on 19 December 2020,^[19][20] Mangga Besar on 25 February 2023,^[21][22][23] Sawah Besar on 28 February 2023,^[21] and Harmoni on 4 March 2023.^{[21][24][25][26]}
• On 15 April 2022, five BRT Stations in Corridor 1, namely Gelora Bung Karno, Tosari, Bundaran HI, Dukuh Atas, and Sarinah (now M.H. Thamrin), were temporarily closed for revitalisation alongside six other stations on Corridors 2, 5, 9, and 11. To serve affected passengers, Transjakarta operated the 1ST (Monumen Nasional–Semanggi) shuttle bus from 15 April to 11 September 2022.^[27] The revitalisation aimed to improve service quality and connect the stations with other modes like MRT and KRL.^[28][29] Gelora Bung Karno was the first to reopen on 17 August 2022,^[30] followed by Bundaran HI on 6 October 2022,^[31][32] Tosari on 26 December 2022,^[33][34][35] Dukuh Atas and Sarinah (reopened as M.H. Thamrin) on 4 March 2023.^[36]
• On 22 July 2022, Corridor 1 began to serve Kali Besar Barat (now Kali Besar) and Museum Fatahillah (now Museum Sejarah Jakarta) stations of Corridor 12 due to a permanent route diversion that circles the Jakarta History Museum block, passing through Pintu Besar Utara, Kali Besar Barat, Kunir, and Lada Dalam Streets. This route diversion is the result of relocating Kota BRT station from the west entrance of Jakarta Kota railway station to the north entrance.^[37] Kali Besar is now officially the terminus of Corridor 1, where some northbound buses terminate and require all passengers to alight.
• On 31 May 2023, the Bundaran Senayan and Karet stations were temporarily closed for revitalisation, following the previous five revitalised stations in 2022.^[38] Bundaran Senayan station resumed operation on 31 August 2023,^[39] followed by Karet on the next day.^[40] Besides that, Bendungan Hilir was closed for revitalisation on 7 October 2023,^[41] and reopened on 14 July 2024.