MetroMini, Jakarta

Metro Mini

A MetroMini bus on Sudirman avenue
Overview
Locale	Jakarta, Indonesia
Transit type	Minibus

The MetroMini minibus system is major part of the public transport system of Jakarta. There were reportedly over 3,000 buses in the MetroMini fleet in mid-2012. The buses are similar to the parallel Kopaja system which also provides transport services, on different routes, across Jakarta. The distinctive MetroMini buses are orange and blue with a white stripe running along the length of the bus. Buses provide seating for around 20-30 people with, often, an equal number crammed into limited standing room so the buses are often overcrowded. But at 2015 Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama stopped all of Metromini's bus operations because of a metromini vs commuter line crash.If Metromini wants to operate again, it has to join Transjakarta like the Kopaja as a feeder bus.

There is considerable public debate in Jakarta about the services provided by the minibus fleets. The minibus systems are, at best, only loosely regulated. They are part of the large informal sector which underpins the more formalised part of the Jakarta economy.

On one hand, the buses are cheap and plentiful. On the other hand, passengers frequently complain about the quality of services. For example, safety is often compromised by this practice of overloading. In addition, the drivers are often reckless and do not pay attention to traffic signs and other traffic. Like the Kopaja buses, the MetroMini bus diesel vehicles are often badly maintained and contribute significant amounts of pollution in Jakarta. Indeed, many of the buses are known to operate without such basic equipment as handbrakes and speedometers. Some observers take the view that the structure of the Minibus system, which is largely run by individuals operating in a semi-legal manner, needs to be better regulated. In principle, bus operators are required to abide by Indonesian laws and regulations about public transportation. But in practice, operators often ignore these laws. For example, in principle, public transport is required to be provided by legal firms which have a corporate structure but this is generally not the case with the Metromini buses. Some bus owners are reported to have formed a cooperative but the corporate arrangements are described as "ramshackle."

MetroMini buses are numbered and travel along designated routes. The numbers are sometimes a little hard to spot since they are posted in a somewhat random fashion on the buses, usually on the front and back windows and sometimes (or alternatively) on the side windows as well. There are also designated bus stops but the bus stops are rarely used. Rather, passengers just wave down the slowly travelling passing buses and later just indicate the spot where they wish to alight. Conductors hanging out of the front or rear doors of the minibuses who are often shouting the destination as the buses travel along (such as, "Senen, Senen, Senen" on route Nos 001 to 010 listed below), facilitate these arrangements. For foreign visitors who may be unsure of routes, often the best thing to do is just ask another passenger for directions.