Space Configuration, Building Circulation, and Safety in Transjakarta Bus Shelter Tarakan

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FORMOSA NEWS - Jakarta - Jakarta Public Transit Bottleneck: How Poor Bus Shelter Design Imperils Passenger Safety and Comfort. A newly published field study by architectural researcher Amadea Gita Larasati Baginda from the Universitas Kristen Indonesia has exposed severe infrastructure bottlenecks within Jakarta’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network. The investigation, published in the Formosa Journal of Applied Sciences in February 2026, examines how cramped space configurations and restricted entryways at the Tarakan Transjakarta bus shelter directly compromise passenger safety, violate personal space, and disrupt pedestrian circulation during peak commuter hours. As Jakarta continues to expand its mass transit systems to combat chronic traffic congestion, these findings provide critical insights for urban planners and transit authorities tasked with designing future transit hubs.

The Reality of Urban Commuting in Jakarta
Jakarta relies heavily on its mass transportation networks, such as the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rapid Transit (LRT), and the extensive Transjakarta bus network, to alleviate its notorious traffic congestion. As a crucial pillar of the city's daily mobility, the Transjakarta system utilizes dedicated, high-platform BRT lanes to move millions of passengers efficiently. However, the physical infrastructure of individual transit hubs has struggled to keep pace with skyrocketing passenger volumes. The Tarakan bus shelter in Central Jakarta serves as a prime example of this infrastructure strain. Operating along two major high-demand routes Route 8 (Lebak Bulus-Pasar Baru) and Route 10H (Tanjung Priok-Bundaran Senayan) the shelter handles a massive influx of commuters connecting to and from major commercial and administrative districts. When transit infrastructure fails to match passenger demand, commuter satisfaction plummets, resulting in long queues and delayed travel times that deter the public from choosing sustainable mass transit.

Evaluating Transit Infrastructure on the Ground
To evaluate the operational realities of the Tarakan bus shelter, the researcher utilized a qualitative case study and architectural observation approach during peak commuting hours on January 22, 2026. The fieldwork targeted the evening rush hour from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM, capturing the precise window when passenger accumulation peaks. Through direct spatial mapping, photographic documentation, and literature analysis, the study analyzed the physical flow of commuters within the narrow, rectangular cuboid structure. The analysis focused on structural dimensions, furniture placement, and the entry-and-exit behaviors of passengers to determine how layout choices impact overall human circulation and safety.

Key Findings: The Anatomy of a Transit Bottleneck
The structural assessment revealed significant spatial mismatches that severely degrade the commuter experience:

• Severe Space Constraints and Multi-Row Queueing: The narrow layout of the Tarakan shelter can only accommodate up to three rows of waiting lines. This leaves virtually no room for active movement, preventing incoming passengers from walking to their specific boarding gates and completely blocking the central corridor.
  
• The Entrance Bottleneck: A major design flaw is the presence of an internal staff room situated right next to the tap-in gates. This structural placement narrows the primary entrance and exit pathway down to an inadequate width of approximately 1 meter, forcing inbound and outbound passenger streams to collide.
  
• Ambiguous Personal Space and Increased Crime Risks: Due to extreme overcrowding, passengers are packed tightly together, completely erasing personal space boundaries. The study links this high-density environment directly to heightened safety risks, noting that such cramped settings make commuters vulnerable to pickpocketing and sexual harassment.
  
• Excessive Wait Times: Commuters frequently face wait times exceeding 30 minutes, and occasionally stretching past an hour. Because the shelter provides only a single seating bench, passengers are forced to stand for long periods in a high-temperature, poorly ventilated space, presenting clear comfort and health concerns.
  
• Hazardous Street-Level Access: Unlike standard Transjakarta stations that utilize elevated pedestrian bridges for safe access, the Tarakan shelter relies entirely on a standard street-level zebra crossing located near the center of a busy road intersection. This lack of protected infrastructure forces pedestrians to navigate heavy vehicular traffic, creating a substantial safety hazard.
  

Real-World Impact and Implications for Policy
These findings carry immediate implications for the Jakarta provincial government, transit operators, and urban planners. The study proves that simply expanding bus fleets is insufficient if the physical shelters themselves act as bottlenecks. When station capacity fails to align with commuter volume, the overall efficiency of the BRT system is undermined, driving frustrated passengers to abandon public transit for alternative, less sustainable options. To remedy these deficiencies, future transit projects must prioritize spatial widening, separate entry and exit channels, and clear architectural layouts that keep staff facilities away from primary commuter flows. Furthermore, integrating dedicated pedestrian overpasses or pelican crossings is an absolute necessity to safeguard passengers accessing roadside stations.

Author Profile
Amadea Gita Larasati Baginda holds an academic degree from the Universitas Kristen Indonesia, where she specializes in architectural design, urban infrastructure assessment, and public space configuration. 

Source

Amadea Gita Larasati Baginda (2026). Space Configuration, Building Circulation, and Safety in Transjakarta Bus Shelter Tarakan. Formosa Journal of Applied Sciences (FJAS) 2026. 
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/fjas.v5i2.4
URL: https://journalfjas.my.id/index.php/fjas