Trans Semarang was launched in 2009 and has grown significantly from a single route to eight main and four feeder routes serving tens of thousands of daily riders. By the end of 2024, the city government reinforced its commitment to Trans Semarang by enacting Transportation Management regulations, which mandate a minimum allocation of 5% of the city’s budget for public transport subsidies. Since Trans Semarang alone cannot solve congestion and air pollution challenges, such supporting policies must be developed to enhance the benefits and impact of public transit.

A recent increase in ridership has accompanied the improvements in Trans Semarang’s services. In 2022, Trans Semarang recorded 15.43 million trips, a notable 65.15% increase from 2021, given the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2023, an average of 40,000 daily trips were made on Trans Semarang. Furthermore, the city plans to develop a dedicated BRT corridor on the Mangkang–Penggaron route to enhance service capacity, quality, and coverage. Despite the city’s goal to increase public transport’s mode share to 20% of daily trips by 2030, the figure stood at just around  7% in 2020. According to the local government, this low ridership contributes to poor air quality, with the transport sector’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions producing over 800,000 tons of CO2 in a 2017 study of the city.

One major challenge is the ineffective enforcement of private vehicle restrictions. Widespread illegal on-street parking, often cheaper than Trans Semarang fares, and underutilized off-street parking further discourage people from switching to public transport. Some restrictions, such as car-free days at Simpang Lima, car-free nights in Kota Lama, and heavy vehicle restrictions during peak hours, are commendable. However, these measures must be expanded and permanent to encourage a shift toward more sustainable transport options.

Public Transport Alone Is Not Enough

A common misconception in Indonesian cities is that simply providing public transport should be enough to address congestion issues. Public transport must be part of a broader, sustainable, transit-oriented mobility strategy, which also requires better accessibility, inclusivity, and disincentives for private vehicle use. Unfortunately, implementation in many cities remains fragmented, leading to underutilized public transport services and eventual termination. A more effective approach is to develop priority transit corridors, also known as a Green Corridor concept. This model focuses on low-emission mobility within a designated area, using “push and pull” strategies to encourage people to shift to public and eco-friendly transport options.

By concentrating on a limited area, cities can evaluate and refine policies before scaling them up. In the context of Semarang, ITDP Indonesia, with support from UK PACT, developed a study recommending piloting a Green Corridor concept on Trans Semarang’s Corridors One and Four. A 2023 ITDP Indonesia report identified these routes as prime candidates for electric bus pilot programs. The study found that adopting electric buses could cut GHG emissions by up to 42.9%, equivalent to reducing 5,238 tons of CO2 emissions a year compared to a business-as-usual scenario. For implementation, Green Corridor interventions can start in specific target areas as a short-term priority. These priority areas serve as focal points for applying stricter strategies. The selection of priority road segments is based on key considerations, including:

• Overlap of Corridor I and IV Routes: These routes run through Semarang’s city center and intersect with multiple transit corridors, improving overall connectivity.
• Planned Dedicated BRT Lanes: Around 60% of the priority routes align with Semarang’s proposed BRT lanes, supporting operations and encouraging public transport use.
• Diverse Land Use and High Concentration of Points of Interest (PoIs): As major activity hubs, initial interventions in these areas can improve accessibility and support urban mobility.

The Green Corridor development can be implemented in phases to ensure sustainability and long-term impact. ITDP Indonesia’s recommendations include a three-phase approach.

Short-Term: 

• Establishing regulations, including inclusive bus stop design standards, standardization and integration of wayfinding systems, bike sharing regulations, as well as parking tariffs and zones
• Improving the reliability of Trans Semarang services (fleet and service quality) on Corridor 1 and 4
• Piloting electric buses on Corridor 1 and 4 routes
• Revitalizing bus stops with inclusive principles, improving accessibility with the complete street concept, and prioritizing bike-sharing services in key areas
• Strengthening on-street parking regulations on priority roads
• Implementing corridor-based on-street parking zones

Medium-Term:

• Regulatory preparation, including upgrading the status or establishing a new institution for Trans Semarang, electric bus operations, and provisions for minimum and maximum off-street parking requirements
• Full-scale implementation of electric bus operations on corridors 1 and 4, along with improving fleet reliability and service quality on other corridors
• Improving bus stop facilities, accessibility through the complete street concept, and expanding bike sharing services, starting with corridors 1 and 4 and potentially extending to other routes
• Implementing area-based parking zones, introducing high parking tariffs, and enforcing minimum and maximum parking space requirements

Long-Term: 

• Ensuring all Trans Semarang routes deliver reliable service and adhere to high inclusivity standards (fleet and bus stops)
• Providing high-quality accessibility to and from bus stops through the complete street concept implementation
• Expanding bike-sharing services to a citywide scale
• Optimizing parking management by eliminating on-street parking in strict intervention zones and converting excess parking unit spaces in areas with maximum parking unit regulations for more productive uses.

Ultimately, Implementing Green Corridors helps reduce congestion and air pollution. It reinforces Semarang’s commitment to sustainable transport, setting an example for other cities to create a more livable and environmentally friendly future. The Green Corridor Development in Semarang study, conducted by ITDP Indonesia, formulates the concept of Green Corridor development, including priority locations and an action plan for policy implementation. Using a gap analysis approach to existing policies, the study aims to guide the Semarang City Government in determining strategic steps for Green Corridor development.