Indonesia's transport system has been shaped over time by the economic resource base of

an archipelago with thousands of islands, and the distribution of its more than 200 million
people highly concentrated on a single island, Java
All transport modes play a role in the country’s transport system and are generally
complementary rather than competitive. Road transport is predominant, with a total system
length of est. 438,000 kilometres (272,000 miles) in 2008. The railway system has four
unconnected networks in Java and Sumatra primarily dedicated to transport bulk
commodities and long-distance passenger traffic.
Sea transport is extremely important for economic integration and for domestic and foreign
trade. It is well developed, with each of the major islands having at least one significant port
city. The role of inland waterways is relatively minor and is limited to certain areas of
Eastern Sumatra and Kalimantan. The function of air transport is significant, particularly
where land or water transport is deficient or non-existent. It is based on an extensive domestic
airline network where all major cities can be reached
Lots of transportation spread throughout Indonesia. Here I will discuss some means of
transportation by land-road. This transportation tool is often used in every corner of the
country. Some are part of the culture (traditional transportation) but modern transportation
has dominated. Traditional transportation is the forerunner of the emergence of modern
vehicles that are now being used, such as becak and dokar.
Becak is three-wheeled carts, either pedal- or motor-powered. The becak is banned from the
main streets of some large cities, but you'll still see them swarming the backstreets, moving
anyone and anything.
A dokar is the jingling, horse-drawn, two-wheeled cart found throughout the archipelago,
including tourist areas. A typical dokar(known as cidomo in some areas such as the Gilis,
or bendi in West Sumatra) has bench seating on either side, which can comfortably fit three
or four people.
This transportation tool is getting a little abandoned because it is considered inefficient with
this era that is as advanced as this. Some people also consider that this vehicle does not have
compassion for its propulsion which is a living creature. But in some places, this vehicle is
still used only as tourist transportation.
Motorcycle is a vehicle that must be owned by everyone in Indonesia. At least one family
will have two motorbikes. If accumulated in the number of Indonesian people, then these
two-wheeled vehicles will be countless on the streets. That's what counts in the data and still
pays taxes, not to mention the vehicles that have expired and are still in use. It is this vehicle
that meets and dominates the streets of Indonesia.
As for minibusses and buses, this semi-modern vehicle is still an option for the lower middle
class. Considered as an easy-to-find transportation tool and of course, cheap fares are in great
demand, especially for housewives and students
Public minibuses are used for local transport around cities and towns, short intercity runs and
the furthest reaches of the transport network.
Minibuses are known as bemos or angkot, although they are called taksi in many parts of
Papua, Kalimantan and East Java. Other names
include opelet, mikrolet, mobil, angkudes and pete-pete. Most minibuses operate a standard
route, picking up and dropping off people and goods anywhere along the way. Minibus
drivers may try to overcharge foreigners and ask you for triple the normal fare. Drivers wait
until their vehicles are crammed to capacity before moving, or they may go keliling – driving
endlessly around town looking for a full complement of passengers. Conditions can be
extremely cramped, especially if you have luggage.
The most common type of bus is the single-deck rigid bus, with larger loads carried by
double-decker and articulated buses. Large buses aren't used much as a means of city
transport except on Java. There's an extensive system of buses in Jakarta, and these are
universally cheap; beware of pickpockets.
The majority of Indonesia's railways is located on Java, used for both passenger and freight
transport. The railway is operated by Kereta Api Indonesia. The inter-city rail network on
Java is complemented by local commuter rail services in the Jakarta metropolitan area and
in Surabaya. In Jakarta, the commuter rail service (Kereta Commuter Indonesia) carries
885,000 passengers a day.
There is a annualy event in Indonesia that influenced transportation system. Mudik,
or Pulang Kampung, is an Indonesian term for the activity where migrants or migrant
workers return to their hometown or village during or before major holidays,
especially Lebaran (Eid al-Fitr). Although the mudik homecoming travel before Lebaran
takes place in most Indonesian urban centers, the highlight is on the nation's largest urban
agglomeration; Greater Jakarta, as millions of Jakartans exit the city by various means of
transportation. Indonesian train operator Kereta Api Indonesia for example, they usually
offers additional train trips or introduces longer trains with more cars in order to meet the
demand. The private operators of intercity and interprovince buses usually charge higher
ticket costs during this period. The impact is indeed tremendous as millions of buses, cars and
motorcycles jam the roads and highways, causing kilometres of traffic jams each year.
Indonesian transportation system is still considered to have a number of problems,
there are at least three major problems of transportation in Indonesia. First, is a lack of
infrastructure and means of public transport. Public transport facilities and infrastructures
were still not sufficient, so that people preferred to use private vehicles. The second
problem was there is no a system that could stop the use of private vehicles. The third
problem was, Indonesia lacked of services and facilities to pamper the private vehicle users.
The regional heads are not too serious to manage mass transportation in their
regions. In fact, worse transport service will drag in a number of other issues such as socio-
economic losses. For example, he explained, Jakarta was expected to suffer losses due to
congestion of up to Rp68.2 trillion per year. The amount was approximately equivalent to
the capital budget every year.