UNS — As a Green Campus, Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta has a role in maintaining the environment. The university should focus on its surroundings and collaborate with the local government to achieve sustainable development that emphasized the environmental aspects. This effort could be achieved through sustainable transportation.
In an online discussion held by UNS on Wednesday (2/6/2021), Vice-Rector for Academic and Student Affairs UNS, Prof. Ahmad Yunus, stated that transportation should follow sustainable development promoted by the United Nations (UN). “In the future, transportation should be environmentally friendly, humane, and safe,” Prof. Yunus stated.
The discussion on ‘Solo Towards Sustainable Transportation, Implementation of UNS Green Campus Concept, in Collaboration with Green Smart City Kota Surakarta’ invited several speakers such as Hadi Setiabudi Pramono (The Head of Mass Transporation Section, Directorate General of Road Transport), Drs. Hari Prihatno (The Head of Transportation Office Surakarta), and Sri Sadadmojo (Director of PT. Bengawan Solo Trans Surakarta). The academic viewpoints were delivered by Budi Yulianto, S.T., M.Sc, Ph.D. (Faculty Member of Civil Engineering FT UNS and Land Transport Expert) and Sukma Larastiti, S.T (Director of Transportologi Surakarta). The discussion is expected to provide suggestions and supports for the Municipal Government of Solo in developing sustainable transportation.
Since the completion of the toll road that connects Solo and other cities, the visitation to Solo is increasing, increasing the mobility of road users that leads to new problems such as traffic jams. To reduce traffic jam, the government need to optimize its public transport service to encourage its people to use public transport instead of their personal vehicles. A similar principle was supported by the former mayor of Bogota, Enrique Penalosa, who stated that a developed city is not a city where poor people drive a car, but a city that makes its riches to use public transports.
The government’s role in ensuring the provision of road-based public transport is regulated in Law Number 22 of 2009 concerning Transportation and Road Transport (LLAJ) Article 158 followed by Minister Decree No. 9 of 2020 regarding the subsidy for urban public passenger transport. “Public transport will not run well without subsidy from the government. No public transport in any country generates profit. Therefore, the government should take a role,” Hadi stated.
Public transport program has been implemented in Solo through the Batik Solo Trans and Feeder Batik Solo. Both are central government programs implemented by the municipal government. The program is evaluated continuously in terms of policymaking and format for payment integration to attract people’s interest. “We hope that people only need to pay once. For example, after paying BST, then take feeder, they do not need to pay and vice versa,” Hadi added. Besides payment integration, the Head of Surakarta Transportation Offices will provide additional infrastructures such as bus stops, conduct socialization, apply push strategy, survey before and after impact, and evaluate the program’s benefit, economic and environmental impact. Humas UNS
Reporter: Alinda Hardiantoro
Editor: Dwi Hastuti