MRT Jakarta Ensures Greener, More Comfortable Pedestrian Spaces Around Stations

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – British content creator Mergim Rejep appeared delighted while riding Jakarta’s urban rail system, the Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit (MRT Jakarta). In a video published on his YouTube channel in October 2025, he praised the train’s powerful air conditioning, which he said was necessary in a city like Jakarta.

"The air con is very powerful here. It's very cool. And you need strong air con when you're in a city like Jakarta, which is home to like 30 million people," he said, as monitored on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

Mergim’s remarks highlight just how hot one of the world’s largest cities can be. Given Jakarta’s location in Indonesia’s tropics and its proximity to the coast, the city’s relatively high temperatures, particularly during the dry season, are understandable.

According to the official website of the Jakarta provincial government, the city’s average air temperature is 28.5°C. However, maximum daytime temperatures can reach 35.2°C, underscoring the city’s hot climate.

Jakarta receives an average annual rainfall of around 2,000 millimeters, with the rainy season peaking around January and February. Jakarta’s heat and rainfall appear to be among the factors being considered by MRT Jakarta.

PT MRT Jakarta, a provincial government-owned company that operates the system, is working to make areas around its stations more vibrant through a concept known as placemaking, including by making use of the unique characteristics of each area and promoting community-based activities.

Head of the Business Planning and Expansion Division at MRT Jakarta, R. Samuel Ryan Pradipta Pranowo, said one of the key aspects of placemaking is ensuring comfort for everyone visiting the area. This is particularly relevant to placemaking in transit-oriented areas, such as Blok M in South Jakarta and Jakarta’s Kota Tua (Old Town) in West Jakarta, which will soon undergo development as part of the MRT line extension.

"Kota Tua will be similar. There will be areas designated exclusively for pedestrians, and there might even be a tram. That area will be a car-free emission zone," he said during a session of the 2026 MRT Jakarta Fellowship Program in Jakarta on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, highlighting the character of the area that once served as Jakarta city center during the Dutch East Indies era.

Samuel said MRT Jakarta’s first step would be to pedestrianize areas around the stations by providing pedestrian-friendly facilities. As part of the MRT extension from Bundaran HI Station to Kota Station, near Kota Tua, which will run entirely underground, pedestrians will also benefit from greater comfort inside the stations.

"First, there will be the underground area, because the new stations will be quite long. There may also be travelators underground, so essentially people will be able to walk above ground or underground," he said.

To ensure comfort above ground, Samuel confirmed that green spaces would be provided around the stations. He also did not rule out installing canopies to protect pedestrians from the heat and rain.

"There will definitely be plenty of green spaces planted with trees above ground. Some areas will certainly have canopies as well," he said.