How to Get Around in Jakarta? - Transportation Guide (2021)

Article updated in May 2021.

It is a challenge to get around in Jakarta. The city is huge, its streets are clogged by traffic jams, and the public transportation system is underdeveloped.

But don't despair yet. Knowing the different options available for transportation can save you some time, money, and energy. This is why I wrote this article which is based on my experience living in Jakarta for over 10 years. Hopefully, it will be useful to you during your stay!

Transportation Apps in Jakarta

The easiest way to get around in Jakarta is to use one of the two main transportation apps available in Indonesia: Gojek (locally-owned) and Grab (Malaysian-owned). The brand Uber doesn't exist anymore in Southeast Asia as it merged with Grab.

Most people I know have both apps installed on their phones and they use them interchangeably. Personally, I tend to prefer Grab, but on a longer trip, I will often check if it is cheaper on Gojek. I also keep an eye on promotions in case there are some discounts or freebies.

Grab and Gojek are actually much more than transportation apps. Among other things, they can be used for:

- Booking a car or a motorbike ride

- Ordering food online

- Delivering a package

- Paying for your bills, for your phone credit, to top up game vouchers

- Consulting with a doctor

- Finding someone to clean your house or repair something

- Buying groceries online

The one thing that interests us here is the car/motorbike booking function. It is really easy to use, all you need to do is to enter your home address, your destination, and the type of vehicle you want to ride.

The cost is reasonable compared to Europe. A car ride will cost you about IDR40,000 for 20 minutes, and a bike ride will cost you half that. Prices are not set, they obey the law of supply and demand. During rush hours, don't be surprised if your bill is 2 or 3 times higher than normal.

You can pay by cash directly to the driver, by card on the app, or by using the app's electronic wallet.

Grab has GrabPay, which is related to the OVO payment platform, and Gojek has GoPay. I recommend you to add money to these wallets as you will get cheaper rides. Another benefit of GoPay and GrabPay is that you can use that money in real life in most shops in the country (often with a discount).

If the trip requires it, some drivers may suggest to taking the toll road. If you say yes, you can either pay the toll with an e-money card, or ask the driver to add the cost to your final bill. If you choose the latter, beware as some drivers may overcharge you.

Public Transportation in Jakarta

There aren't many foreigners who use the public transportation system in Jakarta because it is so much cheaper and convenient to just order Grab/Gojek.

On longer trips, it can be pricey so you may want to check if there is any convenient way to go to your destination by bus, by train, or by metro. In some cases, it can also be faster to use public transports.

Personally, I often check my trip on the Google Maps app to see if I can save a significant amount of time/money. For instance, to go from Kota Tua to Sarinah takes 28 minutes with TransJakarta (line 1) for a cost of IDR3,500. The same trip with Grab costs 5X to 10X more.

The thing you have to consider with public transportation in Jakarta is that you often have complications: Long queues, late schedules, or overcrowded vehicles. You will also probably get tired and sweaty from walking to the station and waiting without air-con.

There are several options you can use to get around in Jakarta by public transport:

TransJakarta

This is a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system with around 20 lines, most of which have dedicated lanes. These allow you to beat the traffic, which is very convenient during rush hours.

It is a fairly good option if your departure and destination are not too far from a bus halt, and if you don't need to switch lines more than once. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen very often and this is probably why many people still prefer using their cars.

To pay for your fare, you need to use an e-money card such as BRIZZI, Flazz, Tapcash, or e-Toll Card. If you don't have one, don't worry as you can buy one at most halts. You can then top it up with the amount you want, considering a 1-way fare costs IDR 3,500.

You can see all the routes here: Map Transjakarta

Other buses (MetroMini or Kopaja)
Apart from TransJakarta, there are other buses, usually smaller, slower and less comfortable.

The most famous ones are the Kopaja (Koperasi Angkotan Jakarta, the green and white ones) and the MetroMini (the red and blue ones). Look at the letters on the buses, each one corresponds to an area: P= Pusat (center of Jakarta), B= Barat (west), S=Selatan (South), U= Utara (North), T= Timur (East). Next to the letter, you have a number that indicates the route.

For instance, the Kopaja S66 is the one that goes from Blok M to Manggarai. 

I actually take these buses from time to time and they can be convenient. What I like is that there are so many of them, and that you can just jump inside one at almost any time. You can pay your fare directly to the driver, usually in cash or by e-money card.

Airport Buses:

DAMRI and JA Connexion operate buses between the CGK airport and several locations in Jakarta (Taman Anggrek, Thamrin, Gambir, Kelapa Gading, Mangga Dua). There is one every 15-30 minutes and they cost around IDR40,000-50,000. You can take them from any terminal in the airport. 

MRT

The MRT (Mass Rapid Transit, a fancy name for the Metro) is great but there is only 1 line from the South to the City Center (Sarinah). It is quite easy and straight-forward to use. You can either pay your fare with an e-money card, or a card delivered at the MRT counter. The cost depends on your destination, from IDR4,000 for 1 station, to IDR14,000 for the trip from Lebak Bulus to Sarinah.

Check the MRT map here.

Other trains (KRL, LRT, Railink)

There are some other mass rapid transportation systems such as the KRL (suburban trains) and the LRT (elevated trains).

The KRL trains are only interesting if you plan to visit cities outside Jakarta like Bogor, Bekasi, Depok or Tangerang. They are quite comfortable (when not overcrowded), and they have AC. The price is reasonable (between IDR3,000 and IDR7,000 for a trip). You need to buy a KMT card to get access to the train (at the cost of IDR30,000). This is the KRL map.

The LRT project is still on-going but it should be completed by 2022. It will have a line in North Jakarta and a line between Kuningan and Bekasi.

Finally, Railink is an express train running between Sudirman Station in Central Jakarta and the Airport. I have used it a few times but I was quite disappointed as it is far from being "express". Indeed, to start with, you will need to go to Sudirman Station, then to wait for the train, then a 45-minute ride, then you need to take another train shuttle to reach your terminal. In the end, it takes at least 2 hours. The price used to be IDR75,000 but since COVID-19, it has been reduced to IDR30,000. 

Other Transportation Mode in Jakarta

Angkot

An angkot (or bemo or mikrolet) is a small van that picks up people on a well-defined route. It stops every time someone wants to get in or out. It's not very fast, and it can also be quite uncomfortable as the ceiling is low and there is no AC.

The good part of it is that it's really cheap, around 3,000 rupiah. I used it on specific short trips, for instance going to Mangga Dua Square from Stasiun Kota. Very local as well, people are usually amused to see foreigners using them.

Taxis
There used to be a lot of taxi brands, but nowadays, it is mostly Blue Bird. The price currently starts at Rp6,500 and you'll pay about Rp50,000 for a 20 minutes ride.

It isn't so expensive, sometimes even cheaper than GrabCar or GoCar, but it has become harder to find them. Most likely, you will use them at the airport or at your hotel.

Becak
Man-powered rickshaw. It is quite rare and only available in some neighborhoods like Glodok.

Bajaj
It's the equivalent of the motorized rickshaws in India or the tuk-tuk in Thailand. They cannot use the main roads so they are pretty much limited to operate in a small area. Some drivers will tell you that they can take you from Kemang to Kota, but it's crazy. Bajaj is ok for distances up to 1 km or so. I use them when I have a very short trip to make and I don't want to walk, for instance, if I'm back from the grocery store, 800 meters from my house.

Price for a Tuk-Tuk: Less than 3 minutes ride, give Rp10,000. Less than 10 minutes: Give Rp20,000. More than 10 minutes: Get a taxi.

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