Pramono Anung wants Jakarta’s cheap, publicly run bus system to take to the water and, eventually, the sky. But as the governor floats helicopters for a metropolitan area of 42 million people, lawmakers, transport researchers and commuters are asking a blunt question: who would benefit, and who would foot the bill?
TransJakarta, the city’s public bus operator, plans to take over public boat services to the Thousand Islands by June 2027. Proposed changes to its governing regulations would allow it to expand into sea and air transport and raise its authorised capital from 5.225 trillion rupiah to 13.4 trillion rupiah. That’s a jump of more than eight trillion rupiah for a company known for its 3,500 rupiah (S$0.25) fare.
A Bus System Built on Affordability
TransJakarta launched in 2004. Its reach is hard to dispute. It recorded 329.2 million passenger journeys in the first nine months of 2026, and the Jakarta provincial administration projected 438.5 million for the full year. Those figures belong to a service ordinary Jakartans rely on every day.
Speaking to reporters on Oct 4, Pramono pointed to the city’s scale. Jakarta has 11 million residents; the wider metropolitan area has 42 million. “It is inconceivable for a metropolitan area of this size not to have air transport,” he said. He hasn’t specified what aircraft might be used, but cited helicopters as a possibility and pointed to New York, which he recently visited, as a city already regulating air transport.
Questions About Cost and Access
Skepticism came quickly. Deddy Herlambang, a senior researcher at Strategic Transport Initiatives (INSTRAN), told The Straits Times that helicopters make little sense as mass transit. “It makes no sense to use helicopters as mass public transport, like public minibuses, because large helicopters are extremely expensive,” he said. “The money would be better spent purchasing more TransJakarta non-BRT buses,” referring to buses that run on ordinary roads and extend the network beyond its main corridors.
Private helicopter services already operate in Jakarta, and their prices tell their own story. Whitesky Aviation offers charters and city transfers, with rates starting at about 32 million rupiah an hour for smaller helicopters, its chief commercial officer Ari Nurwanda told Detikcom in August 2025. That’s a sharp contrast with a 3,500 rupiah bus ticket.
Commuters noticed the gap. Sheila, a 28-year-old marketing executive, was blunt. “It would certainly be a glamorous way to get to work. But how many passengers can a helicopter carry, and how much would a ticket cost? Surely, it cannot be the same cheap fare we pay for a TransJakarta bus ride.” Doddy, a 45-year-old roadside seller of gorengan, laughed at the idea. “I do not think someone like me would ever get the chance to ride in a helicopter,” he said. “Maybe the only things of mine that will ever fly are my fried banana and tapioca – as an in-flight snack!”
Some welcomed the idea. Aisah, a 38-year-old administrative worker, said she’d welcome a way to avoid peak-hour rushes. “If you had asked me 10 years ago, I would have said it was impossible. But now we have the MRT, so nothing seems impossible,” she told The Straits Times.
The Boat Plan and Its Subsidy Question
The sea service seems more practical. TransJakarta says the takeover should make island travel easier and support local businesses and tourism. Pramono said the operator could run the boats more efficiently and cheaply. “Fares will certainly be cheaper if the services are managed professionally, as TransJakarta is doing now,” he said.
On Aug 22, TransJakarta president director Welfizon Yuza joined Jakarta transport officials on a visit to the islands to inspect piers and review the existing ferry fleet. “We fully understand the high expectations of the people of the Thousand Islands,” Welfizon said in an Aug 23 company statement. “This directive from the Governor is a responsibility entrusted to us to bridge the distance and ensure equal rights for all Jakarta residents.”
Deddy said Jakarta’s regional budget could cover the move into sea transport, but subsidies would be needed to keep fares low. He suggested an affordable range of 25,000 rupiah to 50,000 rupiah. The city is also considering a subsidiary to run the boats.
Lawmakers Push Back
At an Oct 7 plenary session of the Jakarta Legislative Council, lawmakers from several political parties challenged the cost and questioned whether TransJakarta should move beyond bus services. Legislator Francine Widjojo put the concern plainly. “The public should not have to pay for this expansion through higher fares or reduced services within the city,” she said.
Aviation regulators are also looking ahead. In July 2025, civil aviation authorities from 24 Asia-Pacific states and administrations, including Indonesia and Singapore, jointly developed reference materials to help regulate commercial air-taxi and drone operations for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Jakarta hasn’t announced plans to use them.
Why This Matters:
Public transport exists to move the many, not dazzle the few. TransJakarta’s value lies in a 3,500 rupiah fare that lets a street vendor and an office worker use the same system. Pushing it into costly new modes carries a real risk: public money and capital could shift away from the buses most residents rely on, as the proposed increase from 5.225 trillion to 13.4 trillion rupiah shows. Legislators like Francine Widjojo are asking whether riders will bear the cost through higher fares or thinner service. The Thousand Islands plan presents the other side. Reliable, subsidised sea links could narrow the distance between island communities and the rest of the capital. How Jakarta funds and prices each new service will show whether expansion widens access or deepens the divide.