The Park and Ride concept has been proposed for a very long time, as a solution to overcome heavy congestion in big cities. Such concept is even more relevant when it comes to the level of congestion in Jakarta. Koran Sindo reported that in 2014 Jakarta will experience a total gridlock, because the available roads cannot meet the amount of motor vehicles.

Koran Sindo quoted the data from the Directorate of Traffic of the Jakarta Police Department, which says that the number of vehicles in Jakarta in 2009, has reached 9,993,867 units, and it is increased by 15 % in 2010, when it reached 11,362,396 units. The number of vehicles in Jakarta is estimated to reach 15 million.

Further, Kompas reported that Jakarta and its satellite cities are the sixth largest metropolis area in the world, inhabited by 18 million peoples. During the night, Jakarta with an area of more than 661 km², has a population of approximately 10 million people; while in the afternoon, the total population reached 12 million people.

The mobility within, from, and to Jakarta would bring significant congestion impact, while it should be admitted that such congestion is one of the few impacts from the the national economic development. Complaints about congestion are often heard in many social media accounts. No wonder, websites such as LewatMana.com and its Twiter account @LewatMana, is an important tool for the people of Jakarta and its greater area.

Due to the bad situation on the congestion level, the Regional Government of Jakarta has planned the concept of “park and ride “, which according to Wikipedia:

“Park-and-ride (or incentive parking) facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people headed to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system (rapid transit, light rail, or commuter rail), or carpool for the remainder of the journey. The vehicle is stored in the car park during the day and retrieved when the owner returns. Park-and-rides are generally located in the suburbs of metropolitan areas or on the outer edges of large cities”.

In 2012, Tempo reported that the Regional Government of Jakarta has started to develop the “park and ride” facilities for TransJakarta in Ragunan, South Jakarta. There also will be three similar facilities in Kalideres, West Jakarta; Kampung Rambutan, East Jakarta; and Pulo Gebang, East Jakarta. This effort is also supported by the private sector, as reported by the Jakarta Post in September 2013 that the Regional Government of Jakarta invited several companies to invest in the development of park and ride facilities, which will be integrated with TransJakarta shelters, bus terminals, and Commuter Line stations.

For Commuter Line users, PT KAI has sterilized the Commuter Line stations in Greater Jakarta since 2013. This effort is a part of realizing the concept of park and ride, including PT KAI’s attempt to transform the face of the Commuter Line stations into modern and organized station. Such effort is considerably successful, as more spaces are available to accommodate commuters who want to use the Commuter Line and leave their personal vehicles at the station.