Transportation in Indonesia
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Common modes of transportation in Indonesia include many ferries and other ships, a wide variety of road vehicles, limited railroad service, and extensive commercial aviation.
Marine transportation
Because Indonesia encompasses a sprawling archipelago, maritime shipping provides essential links between different parts of the country. Boats in common use include large container ships, a variety of ferries, passenger ships, sailing ships, and smaller motorized vessels.
Frequent ferry services cross the straits between nearby islands, especially in the chain of islands stretching from Sumatra through Java to the Lesser Sunda Islands. On the busy crossings between Sumatra, Java, and Bali, multiple car ferries run frequently twenty-four hours per day. There are also international ferry services between across the Straits of Malacca between Sumatra and Malaysia, and between Singapore and nearby Indonesian islands, such as Batam.
A network of passenger ships makes longer connections to more remote islands, especially in the eastern part of the archipelago. The national shipping line, Pelni, provides passenger service to ports throughout the country on a two to four week schedule. These ships generally provide the least expensive way to cover long distances between islands. Still smaller privately-run boats provide service between islands.
On some islands, major rivers provide a key transportation link in the absence of good roads. On Kalimantan, longboats running on the rivers are the only way to reach many inland areas. Indonesia has 21,579 km of navigable waterways (2004), of which about one half are on Kalimantan, and a quarter each on Sumatra and Papua.
Major ports and harbors include Cilacap, Cirebon, Jakarta, Kupang, Palembang, Semarang, Surabaya, and Makassar.
Roads and highways
A wide variety of vehicles are used for transportation on Indonesia's roads.
Bus services are available in most areas connected to the road network. Between major cities, especially on Sumatra, Java, and Bali, services are frequent and direct; many services are available with no stops until the final destination. In more remote areas, and between smaller towns, most services are provided with minibuses or small vans. Buses and vans are also the primary form of transportation within cities.
Many cities and towns have some form of transportation for hire available as well, such as taxis and motorized autorickshaws. Cycle rickshaws, called becak in Indonesia, are common in many cities, and provide an inexpensive form of in-town transportation. They have been blamed for causing traffic congestion and banned from most parts of central Jakarta. Horse-drawn carts are found in some cities and towns.
Private cars are far too expensive for the majority of the population, and are uncommon except in larger cities.
Indonesia has about 158,670 km of paved highways, about about 184,000 km of unpaved highways (1999 estimate).
Railways:
total:
6,458 km
narrow gauge:
5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (101 km electrified; 101 km double track); 497 km 0.750-m gauge (1995)
Pipelines:
crude oil 2,505 km; petroleum products 456 km; natural gas 1,703 km (1989)
Airports: 446 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total:
127
over 3,047 m:
4
2,438 to 3,047 m:
12
1,524 to 2,437 m:
39
914 to 1,523 m:
41
under 914 m:
31 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total:
319
1,524 to 2,437 m:
5
914 to 1,523 m:
33
under 914 m:
281 (1999 est.)
- See also : List of airports in Indonesia
National airline: