Although public transport in Jakarta is developing rapidly with the construction of two metro lines, it remains relatively complicated and confusing.

Nevertheless, it is suitable for tourists to reach certain places, and above all, public transport is very cheap and safe.

The most widely used and convenient modes of transport are the Grab and Gojek mobile apps.

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Public transport

In Jakarta, you can get around the city by train, metro, the LRT (which is essentially an elevated metro), BRT express buses, regular buses and minibuses.

Buses and minibuses are operated under the TransJakarta system.

The great thing is that you can use the same electronic travel card on all modes of transport. What’s more, some of them are also valid in other cities across Indonesia.

Fares – the JakLingko card and others

When travelling on any form of public transport in Jakarta, youmust purchase an electronic card onto which you can top up with the amount of your choice.

This amount is deducted gradually depending on how much you travel. Any unused credit cannot be refunded.

You can pay for and top up the card in cash, but the fare itself is always deducted directly from the card; there are no traditional paper tickets in Jakarta.

Cards issued at sales points in Jakarta are collectively known as JakLingko; however, they are always issued by a bank, and in practice you may come across the following types of cards:

• JakLingko – valid only in Jakarta and the surrounding area
  • Available from ticket machines at TransJakarta bus stations and suburban train stations
  • Price 30 000 idr, of which 20 000 idr is the cost of the card itself and 10 000 idr is the minimum credit available for fares
• BNI Tapcash – Also valid in other Indonesian cities (e.g. Yogyakarta, Bandung, Medan, Surabaya)
  • Available for purchase at ticket offices at airport train stations (Manggarai and Sudirman/BNI City stations only) or at Indomaret and Alfa Mart / Alfa Express mini-markets
  • Price 40 000 idr, of which 20 000 idr is the cost of the card itself and 10 000 idr is the minimum credit required for fares
• E-money Mandiri – also valid in other Indonesian cities (e.g. Yogyakarta, Bandung, Medan, Surabaya)
  • Available for purchase at ticket offices at airport train stations (Manggarai and Sudirman/BNI City stations only) or at Indomaret and Alfa Mart / Alfa Express convenience stores
  • Price 40 000 idr, of which 20 000 idr is the cost of the card itself and 10 000 idr is the minimum credit required for fares
• BRIZZI – also valid in other Indonesian cities (e.g. Yogyakarta, Bandung, Medan, Surabaya)
  • Available to buy at Indomaret and Alfa Mart / Alfa Express convenience stores
  • Price 40 000 idr, of which 20 000 idr is the cost of the card itself and 10 000 idr is the minimum credit available for fares
• BCA Flazz – also valid in other Indonesian cities (e.g. Yogyakarta, Bandung, Medan, Surabaya)
  • Available to buy at Indomaret and Alfa Mart / Alfa Express convenience stores
  • Price 40 000 idr, of which 20 000 idr is the cost of the card itself and 10 000 idr is the minimum credit available for fares

How do I top up the card?

You can top up your JakLingko card at all ticket machines at train stations and TransJakarta bus stops. Payment can only be made by card.

Other cards (E-money, BNI Tapcash, BRIZZI, BCA Flazz) can only be topped up at Alfa Mart and Indomaret convenience shops, which are literally on every corner. In this case, you can pay by cash or card.

You can top up these cards in any city in Indonesia, not just in Jakarta.

TransJakarta buses

Buses remain the main form of transport for the time being, some of which run along special lanes separated from other traffic. The metro and suburban trains do not yet serve all tourist attractions.

TransJakarta operates three types of bus routes.

The fare is the same for all services (BRT, regular buses and minibuses) – 3 500 idr per journey.

If you are changing between two BRT routes and do not leave the station (i.e. you do not pass through the turnstile), you only pay the 3,500 rupiah fare once. However, if you are changing between stations or between different types of bus, you must always pay again.

Most routes operate from approximately5.00 am to 10.00 pm.

BRT

Bus Rapid Transit partly avoids traffic jams, although the buses cannot avoid stopping at traffic lights at junctions.

BRT routes are operated by large blue-and-white buses, and their stops are only accessible after passing through turnstiles. You must tap your electronic card against the turnstile both when entering and leaving the station.

The most useful routes for tourists are as follows:

• Route 1 – connects the old town of Kota Tua with the Monas monument and continues south towards Blok M
• Routes 2, 2A, 5C – connect Senen Sentral with the Monasmonument via Gambir railway station
• Routes 5, 5D – run from the eastern part of the city centre (Senen Sentral, Pasar Baru) to Ancol Amusement Park
• Routes 6A, 6B – run to Ragunan Zoo

Buses on the main routes run very frequently, on average every 5–10 minutes, but routes 1 and 6, for example, run roughly every 2 minutes.

Some buses can be crowded, but it is usually enough to wait for the next one, which will be considerably less crowded.

Travelling on BRT buses is safe, although we recommend keeping your rucksack or handbag close at hand (not on your back), as there may be pickpockets.

Some buses have a section at the front reserved exclusively for women!

BRT buses are shown on the TransJakarta transport map alongside trains and the underground.

Regular buses

Orange and white buses serve as a supplement to local transport for shorter distances; they run on ordinary roads alongside cars, and their stops are located on the pavement at the side of the road.

There is no route map for these buses, but the stops, including the route numbers, are shown on Google Maps, for example.

The Moovit app often displays incorrect route maps for these services.

When boarding, tap your electronic card on the reader by the driver. Somewhat illogically, you must also tap your card when alighting (although the fare 3 500 idr is a flat rate per journey, regardless of the distance travelled).

The card reader is located only by the driver and not by the second door, so you must use the front door even when getting off.

Minibuses (angkot)

Small minibuses in Indonesia, known as ‘angkot’, used to be an extremely popular – and also extremely confusing – form of transport, particularly in the outskirts of Jakarta.

However, they have now been integrated into the TransJakarta system, and all minibuses have a numbered route code (always beginning with the letters ‘JAK’, for example JAK89) and fixed routes.

You can also find the stops on these routes on Google Maps.

When boarding and alighting, you must tap your electronic travel card on the reader.

Commuter trains

Commuter trains form the main rail network and are also used for travel within the city. Trains runfrom approximately5.00 am to 10.00 pm; some services on lines B and C run until 11.00 pm.

Fares are calculated slightly differently to those for buses and always depend on the distance travelled. However, fares are very low.

• 3 000 idr – the fare anywhere within Jakarta, for example from the city centre to the old town of Kota Tua
• up to 6 000 idr – the highest fare to the most distant destinations

When entering and exiting the platform, you always pass through a turnstile, to which you tap your electronic travel card.

You can buy a card at any train station if required.

In Jakarta, you can use the following train lines.

• A (Airport Rail Link) – This line runs from the city centre to Jakarta CGKAirport, and a special fare of 70 000 idr applies, which cannot be paid for using electronic cards. You must buy a standard paper ticket from the ticket machine.
  • Trains run every 30 minutes
• B– a frequent service connecting Jakarta Kota station (the old town of Kota Tua) with the city centre (Juanda station – near the mosque and cathedral) and continuing south to the city of Bogor
  • Frequency: 8–15 minutes
• C– a busy route connecting the towns of Cikarang and Bekasi with the city centre, where the train follows a wide circular route around the centre
  • Frequency: 8–15 minutes
• TP– a short route running from Jakarta Kota station (the old town of Kota Tua) via Ancolamusement park to Tanjung Priok harbour
  • Frequency: every 30 minutes
• T– runs from Duri station on the western edge of the city centre to the town of Tangerang and is not particularly useful for tourists
• R– runs from Tanah Abang station to the town of Rangkasbitung, where it connects with theLMsuburban line towards the town of Merak (ferries to the island of Sumatra)
  • R service frequency approx. 15–30 minutes
  • Frequency of the LM line: approx. 6 times a day

Official website of the commuter rail network:commuterline.id. However, several lines are missing from the timetables on this website, even though they are normally in operation.

However, Google Maps displays departure times accurately when you click on the icon for a specific station.

MRT Metro + LRT Light Rail

The conventional metro network currently comprises just three lines.

• MRT– the conventional metro currently consists solely of the red line, which runs partly underground (in the city centre) and above ground outside the city centre
  • Dukuh Atas (transfer to BNI City / Sudirman stations) – Blok M – Lebak Bulus
• LRT– an elevated metro system divided into two lines
  • Green line “BK” – runs from Dukuh Atas station via Cikoko, Cawang and Halim stations (transfer to the high-speed railway) to Jati Mulya
  • Blue line “CB” – runs from Dukuh Atas station via Cikoko, Cawang and TMII stations (transfer to the high-speed railway) to Harjamukti

Services on all lines run approximately every 8 minutes, and operating hours are from approximately 5.00 am to 10.30 pm.

Fares are relatively high compared with other modes of transport and are calculated based on the distance travelled.

On the MRT, fares range from 5 000 idr to 13 000 idr.

On LRT lines, the fare is 5 000 idr for the first 23 km and 700 idr for each additional kilometre.

• Official MRT website: jakartamrt.co.id
• Official LRT website: lrtjakarta.co.id/informasi-tiket

Grab / Gojek

For tourists, the easiest and most convenient way to get around is by taxi via the Grab or Gojek mobile apps.

It’s always worth comparing prices on both platforms, as they can differ by as much as tens of per cent.

• Download the Grab app
• Download the Gojek app

You can choose between cars and significantly cheaper motorbikes; however, in terms of safety, avoiding exhaust fumes and overall comfort, cars – which are almost always air-conditioned – are the best mode of transport, despite the ever-present traffic jams.

Typical fares for journeys within Jakarta (for example, from the city centre to the old town of Kota Tua) are around 30 000 idr.

Compared to traditional taxis, this represents a significant saving; moreover, as soon as the car arrives, you can track its location via the app and call or message the driver if they get lost or take a wrong turn, which happens very often.

Paying tolls

The motorway network in Jakarta is divided into toll roads and toll-free roads.

As you travel further away from the city centre, the driver will often ask you whether you want to take the ‘Toll Road’ or not. We recommend always agreeing to this, as it can save you up to 30 minutes’ driving time.

The toll usually costs 10 000 idr and the app automatically includes it in the final price, which is deducted from your card. Do not pay the driver any cash.

Regular taxis

There are several taxi companies operating in Jakarta, the largest of which is Bluebird.

You’ll find their light blue or grey taxis on every corner, and you can hail one simply by waving.

Taxis in Jakarta must operate using a taximeter. Any tolls are not included in the taximeter reading and are paid on top of the fare.

Taxi drivers only accept cash payments, and fares are usually 15% to 20% higher than those offered by the Grab and Gojek mobile apps.

On foot

Jakarta is one of the worst major cities in the world for pedestrians.

Although there are pavements along the streets in the city centre, pedestrians do not have priority over cars at crossings, and junctions with traffic lights make life difficult due to very long waiting times.

Even at traffic-light-controlled junctions, you have to be extremely careful, as motorbikes in particular routinely run red lights.