PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan prioritizes the arrangement of parking and street vendors as the initial step in the construction of Bus Rapid Transit until 2027 (28/1/2026).

This policy was established because the parking and street vendor sectors were the groups most directly impacted by the construction of the BRT line.

Muhammad Farhan said that resolving these two sectors was crucial to prevent the development process from causing prolonged unrest in the community.

"The first thing we have to find a solution for is parking and street vendors, because they will definitely be affected by the BRT construction," said Farhan.

He acknowledged that residents still have concerns about traffic jams and social impacts during the construction period.

Farhan apologized for not announcing the detailed handling scheme to ensure the policy was widely accepted by the public.

"I apologize for not being able to provide any certainty yet, as we want to ensure the scheme is acceptable to everyone," he said.

Responding to the rejection of residents in the Cicadas area, Farhan considered the response reasonable due to fears of eviction.

"In our brothers' perception, it seems as if we will be evicted, but that's not the case. We will have a dialogue," he said.

The dialogue will be the basis for determining relocation policies or forms of compensation for street vendors.

"We want to know the progress of the street vendors' businesses there before deciding whether to relocate them or not," said Farhan.

Farhan also ensured that the existence of city transportation would be maintained and function as a feeder supporting the BRT system.

"Angkot will not disappear, angkot will become a feeder," he said.

He explained that the BRT route does not change the basic transportation pattern because it still follows the existing route.

Rejuvenation of old public transportation will be discussed with the Kopamas, Kobutri, and Kobanter cooperatives to improve passenger comfort.

Farhan encouraged the rejuvenation to be directed towards the use of electric public transportation which had previously been launched by the Bandung City Government.

"Electric public transportation can be an attractive way to encourage people to return to using public transportation," he concluded. (Bandung City Communications and Information Office/bhf)