Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has reaffirmed his commitment to tackling the city's air pollution head-on.

Speaking at a Townhall Meeting at M Bloc on Wednesday (11/2), Pramono noted that while Jakarta has made strides in managing floods and waste, air quality remains a hard nut to crack.

"To be perfectly honest, pollution is a perennial challenge that we haven't quite managed to put to bed yet," he stated, emphasizing that this chronic issue is now a top priority on his agenda.

To clear the air, the Jakarta government has rolled out a three-pronged strategy. First, the city is casting a wider net for its Transjabodetabek bus services—linking Blok M to Alam Sutera, PIK 2, and soon, Soekarno-Hatta Airport—to discourage private vehicle use.

He is also urging residents to jump on board, even sweetening the deal with free public transport for 15 specific groups. With transport connectivity now at 92%, Jakarta is climbing the global ladder, sitting at 17th worldwide and 2nd in ASEAN, just behind Singapore.

Given that transportation accounts for the lion’s share (50%) of Jakarta’s emissions, Pramono is betting big on green energy, aiming for 10,000 electric Transjakarta buses by 2030.

Beyond transportation, waste management is also on the radar for the Jakarta government. They are fast-tracking the construction of Intermediate Treatment Facilities (ITF) in Sunter, Rorotan, Bantargebang, and West Jakarta, with projects slated to get off the ground by mid-year.

"If we can pull this off, it will make a significant dent in Jakarta's overall emission levels," he concluded.