New York Mayor Asks Jakarta Governor About Traffic Congestion Solutions

New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani asked Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung about the strategies to tackle traffic congestion in the capital. The two city leaders met for a bilateral discussion on Sunday (20/9) at the Civic Hall in New York, exchanging experiences and solutions for urban challenges including public transport, flooding, air pollution, and municipal bond financing. Mamdani specifically delved into Jakarta's approach to alleviating traffic jams and developing its public transportation system. "We discussed public transport in New York a lot. And I want to know, you said the main problem in Jakarta is traffic congestion. What steps are you taking to overcome that congestion?" Mamdani asked Pramono, as quoted from a video uploaded by Pramono. Pramono explained that according to UN data, the Jakarta metropolitan area has a population of 42 million people. Approximately 4 million people commute daily from surrounding buffer zones and return to their respective areas. To address this density, he highlighted the development of Transjabodetabek as an effort to strengthen connectivity between Jakarta and its buffer regions, thereby reducing the use of private vehicles. "First of all, I launched the Transjabodetabek bus service, which serves not only the Jakarta area but also the buffer zones. Jakarta has buses (Transjakarta), MRT, LRT. Currently, Jakarta's connectivity is over 93 percent. Elderly people, people with disabilities, the less fortunate, and students, all travel for free. This is all subsidized by the Jakarta government," Pramono stated. Through Transjabodetabek, the administration aims to reduce congestion and the volume of vehicles entering Jakarta while strengthening regional connectivity. Furthermore, free public transportation services are provided to 15 categories of citizens, including the elderly, disabled individuals, and students receiving financial aid.