Bluebird is Indonesia’s most popular taxi provider with around 15 thousand taxis being used throughout the country. Bluebird has recently stated their growth plan to increase the implementation of green vehicles by 10%. President Director of the Bluebird Group, Andre Djokosoetono, stated that they are starting with various kinds of electric vehicles to see which ones are easier and get utilized the most efficiently within the industry. He explains that in the market, though the price of regular vehicles is still more cost effective, the price of electric vehicles has been decreasing over the years at around 30-40% due to advancements in technology and more charging stations getting installed. Bluebird currently has 220 fleets of electric vehicles and they are planning on expanding this amount to around 10% of the total fleet of vehicles within the next 3 to 5 years. He states “The level of adoptions should be in line with the advancements and the price of the acquisition as well, so it used to be four times the normal cost, now it’s around 2 and ½ times of normal cost for the same capacity of vehicles so we project expected ratios of price will come closer and closer and this is why the adoptions will be bigger and bigger every year.” Therefore, the cost of implementation has shown to be decreasing and so it will be possible to adopt a larger pool of electric vehicles each year. Even through the bulk of traffic in Jakarta, the amount of available charging stations is sufficient to support the ongoing plans to expand electric vehicles. Compared to 5-6 years ago, many more charging stations have been installed in Jakarta-resulting in a high confidence that electric vehicles will be a viable option as Bluebird has pinpointed the existing locations and current number of charging stations within Jakarta as well as the amount that would need to be installed over time.
Other transportation companies are also taking initiative to expand their installation of green infrastructure and vehicles. The Nusantara Capital City Authority, or the IKN, is introducing the idea of ‘flying taxis’ or battery powered electric planes that will be able to fit up to five passengers. In collaboration with Hyundai and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, the IKN has put forth a plan consisting of three phases. Phase I is proof of concept in which the first trial was conducted on July 29th and successfully showed that the sky taxi was stable at an altitude between 50-80 meters and a speed of 50 km/hour. As technology for these sky taxis improves over time, they hope that they will be able to reach speeds of around 193 km/hr and heights of 457 meters. Phase II consists of operational implementation in which a research and development center is set to be built and utilized. Phase III is the commercialization of the sky taxi into Jakarta by 2029 in which it will be a sustainable and effective mode of transportation.
In conclusion, it is very exciting to see that actions are being made to implement sustainable transportation to reduce emissions. The idea of development was most recently brought up in our class reading of Migrant Returns: Manila, Development, and Transnational Connectivity by Eric J. Pido. The reading described how infrastructure development in other Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines could consequently create greater divisions between income classes as investments have mainly only been set forth in wealthy areas, leaving behind areas that are already economically disadvantaged, which widens the gap and results in prevalent class inequality. Though this concern is valid and needs to be addressed, I believe that the investment in green transportation is a positive development that will be able to be utilized by the general public. Bluebird is slowly installing electric vehicles as they recognize that it is indeed expensive so it seems that by the time the plan is fully fledged out, the vehicles will have become affordable. In terms of the sky taxis, it is unclear whether or not they will be affordable for the general public though it is being marketed as a public transportation system and the plan of installation seems to be legitimate. All in all, investments in sustainable transportation are incredibly important and it is big news that such strides are being made currently and in the near future for Indonesia.
Resources:
CNBC. “Bluebird, One of Indonesia’s Largest Taxi Companies, Talks about Its Shift toward Electric Vehicles.” CNBC, 14 Nov. 2024, www.cnbc.com/video/2024/11/14/blue-bird-one-of-indonesias-largest-taxi-companies-talks-about-its-shift-toward-electric-vehicles.html. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.
Post, The Jakarta. “Indonesia’s Future Capital Nusantara’s Flying Taxi to Operate Commercially in 2029.” Asianews.network, 2024, asianews.network/indonesias-future-capital-nusantaras-flying-taxi-to-operate-commercially-in-2029/. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.
Speirs, Edward. “Bluebird Goes Green: Electric Taxis Take to Bali’s Roads – NOW! Bali.” NOW! Bali, 6 May 2022, www.nowbali.co.id/bluebird-goes-green-electric-taxis-take-to-balis-roads/. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.