RRI.CO.ID, Medan - The Indonesian government is developing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems in Medan, North Sumatra, and Bandung, West Java, as part of the MASTRAN (Indonesia Mass Transit) project. The initiative aims to improve the efficiency of public transportation services for Indonesia's rapidly growing urban population.

The project is supported by France through a €600,000 (about US$681,000) grant and a US$40 million loan provided by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the World Bank. French Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN, Fabien Penone, visited Medan on Thursday, July 16, 2026, to review one of the project sites.

Penone was welcomed by Head of Medan's Office of Transportation, Irsan Idris Nasution, at the city's Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Traffic Control Center. The ITS, which will be upgraded through the project, will be integrated with the future BRT network.

The ambassador also observed passengers using the project's first BRT station. It is located at Lapangan Merdeka, in downtown Medan. "The MASTRAN project reflects our shared determination to cooperate in urban management and public transportation. It also demonstrates France's commitment to expanding practical cooperation across all regions of Indonesia, where Medan is one of the country's key demographic and economic centers," Penone said, according to a press release by the French Embassy in Jakarta, received by RRI Voice of Indonesia on Monday, July 27, 2026.

Irsan said that, thanks to the partnership with the AFD and the World Bank, the BRT system marks a new chapter in urban mobility for Medan. He added that Penone's visit reaffirmed the strength of Indonesia–France relations while highlighting how this joint effort will improve the city's public transportation system.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Minister of Transportation, Dudy Purwagandhi groundbroke MASTRAN's Bandung project at the Leuwipanjang BRT Depot in Bandung Regency on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. He stated that developing mass transit is one of the government's strategies to address mobility challenges in the ever-expanding metropolitan area.

"Today's groundbreaking marks an important milestone in realizing modern public transportation services in the Bandung Basin area. Through this development, we aim to provide comfortable, safe, timely, affordable, and integrated public transportation, providing the public with better mobility options," Dudy said, as quoted by the ministry's website.

Through collaboration between stakeholders, along with support from the World Bank and the AfD, the Indonesian government hopes that MASTRAN will become a model for urban mass transportation development in the country. The BRT system is expected to improve interregional connectivity, strengthen community productivity, reduce congestion and carbon emissions, and provide a modern, inclusive, and sustainable public transportation system for the people.