In line with various transportation events focusing on the acceleration of environmentally friendly vehicle development, such as the International Battery Summit (IBS), the International Conference on Battery for Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicles (ICBREV), and GIIAS 2024 held last month, Indonesia is becoming increasingly serious about controlling the use of private vehicles and carbon emissions. This initiative aims to address pressing issues like traffic congestion and environmental changes.

Currently, alongside the infrastructure development in the nation's capital (IKN) and Jakarta, the acceleration of transportation mode construction is also ongoing. One example is the Autonomous Rail Transit (ART), which uses electricity as its power source, can travel at speeds of up to 40 km/h, and operates fully autonomously. In Jakarta, new lines for MRT and LRT transportation modes have also been added, making transit easier for users.

Although access to public transportation is improving, several important questions arise, such as whether transportation in Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek) is already optimal for users and how the public perceives the current and future development of transportation. To address these questions, a survey was conducted among the students of Dian Nusantara University regarding the use of public transportation in Greater Jakarta.

The survey, conducted through Google Forms, represents the views of Dian Nusantara University, Tanjung Duren students on transportation development. The results show that 33.3% of respondents have never used public transportation, while 66.7% have.

The survey also revealed that the travel time for UNDIRA Tanjung Duren students to campus ranges from 7 minutes to 3 hours, with the majority of respondents (6 out of 9) preferring to use private vehicles. This preference is driven by various factors, such as accessibility and time efficiency.

Other issues faced by public transportation users include safety concerns, such as criminal activities, as well as limited facilities, such as inadequate parking spaces and a small number of vehicles. The lack of adequate transit points also discourages people from switching to or using sustainable public transportation.

For reference however, in recent years, the government has been working to strengthen and revitalize public transportation. This effort is evident in the gradual refurbishment of infrastructure such as bus stops and transit stations, as well as the procurement of new vehicles. The government also encourages the public to use public transportation by building new transit lines in strategic locations, such as the construction of MRT phase 2, which will serve the Bundaran HI to Ancol Barat route, and a new LRT line that will serve the Cikarang-Balaraja direction.

At the GIIAS 2024 event held at JIEXPO, Kemayoran, various innovative vehicle concepts were showcased, including Hyundai's latest Ioniq 5N model, Hyundai Kona Electric, BYD (Build Your Dream), GAC Aion ES, and others. These new vehicle designs are part of the effort by EV developers to attract buyers with unique features for each model, such as self-driving mode.

Additionally, according to field research conducted through interviews with several Wuling outlets in certain malls, the government provides incentives such as a 10% subsidy on the initial price of electric vehicles (EVs) like Wuling, as well as increasing the number of charging stations for EVs. 

It is hoped that in the coming years, there will be a gradual evolution in public perception towards public transportation. With various incentives and the addition of facilities and infrastructure, public acceptance will gradually increase, and traffic congestion along with carbon emissions will slowly decrease.