The World Bank has approved a USD224 million financial package for Indonesia’s Mass Transit (MASTRAN) Project. The new package will facilitate the development of bus rapid transit (BRT) systems in the metropolitan areas of Medan, North Sumatra, and Bandung, West Java. Additionally, the package will also finance upgradation works on existing public transport infrastructure in Indonesia.
The initiative will also help to develop national and subnational authorities in Indonesia that will be able to design, implement, and administer mass transportation networks.
Additional financing for the MASTRAN project has also been secured from Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Government of the Philippines and the private sector. Total financing for the project currently stands at USD364 million.
The transit project will aim at reducing travel times on public transportation, increase the numbers of riders, as well as increasing the level of safety and security in the country’s BRT systems. The project is also expected to contribute in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and congestion as well as support future electrification of the BRT fleet in Indonesia.
