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Commuting in Indonesia: Private VS Public Transport

The government has made various important efforts to advance transport and connectivity in Indonesia^[1]. One of them is developing mass transport infrastructure to reduce congestion, improve air quality, and facilitate public mobility. On the other hand, the government has provided subsidy assistance for the purchase of battery-based motor vehicles since last year^[2].

Jakpat conducted a survey of 2,299 respondents throughout Indonesia about their daily commuting habits. The survey is focused on the type of transport, both private and public.

Portrait of mobility support

The survey shows that the use of private vehicles is more for supporting daily activities than public transport. Four out of 5 respondents use private vehicles with motorcycles as the most widely used vehicles, while 38% use public transport. In more detail, 28% of respondents in Greater Jakarta use online motorcycle taxis while 22% of respondents outside Java use private cars.

“Even though public transport is more widely used in Greater Jakarta, the majority of respondents still choose private vehicles, especially motorcycles, because of their time efficiency and ability to avoid congestion. This indicates that the people of Greater Jakarta prioritize comfort in facing heavy traffic, while outside Java, limited access and the need for personal comfort are the main determinants of transport choices,” said Jakpat Lead Researcher, Farida Hasna.

Generally, people use vehicles for mobility to the office. As many as 40% of public transport users also use the public facility on weekends. Regarding the type, 21% of public transport users rely on online motorcycle taxis, followed by public transport (13%) and electric rail trains/KRL (7%).

Private vs public transport

The most common time to use transport, both private and public, tends to be the same, which is when going to work and leaving work. The peak of public transport use is at 6-10 AM with a percentage of 38%. One in 5 private vehicle users drives from 8-10 PM. 

Regarding frequency, 72% of private vehicle users use it every day. Meanwhile, almost 30% of public transport users rely on the shared facility 2-4 times a week.

In terms of the duration of a trip, there is no significant difference between public and private transport users. More than 40% of respondents spend 15-30 minutes. As many as 17% of public transport users in Greater Jakarta spend 1-2 hours for one trip.

On the other hand, using public transport is considered more economical because more than 50% of its users spend less than IDR 250 thousand per month for travel purposes. Meanwhile, 1 in 3 private vehicle users spend IDR 250-500 thousand per month.

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[1] https://news.detik.com/berita/d-7528585/maruf-bicara-pentingnya-majukan-transportasi-umum-demi-kurangi-macet-polusi

[2] https://www.menpan.go.id/site/berita-terkini/berita-daerah/subsidi-kendaraan-listrik-berbasis-baterai-dimulai-20-maret-2023