JAKARTA - TransJakarta is preparing 20 of its best drivers for a training exchange to Japan. CEO Welfizon Yuza made the announcement on Friday, March 27, speaking to reporters at Halte Bundaran HI in Central Jakarta during the operator's 12th anniversary event.

The exchange, organised through TransJakarta Academy, is designed to bring back new standards that can then be applied across the capital’s bus network. “TransJakarta Academy is currently preparing 20 of our best drivers to be placed in an exchange to Japan,” Welfizon said, as quoted by Indonesia’s state-owned agency Antara.

The exchange runs through Transjakarta Academy, which was formally established as an official job training institution on May 20, 2025, and is the first driver school of its kind in Indonesia’s public transport sector. 

“Later they will have new standards to bring back to Indonesia, and also build the dream that the profession of being a driver at Transjakarta has a future and wider opportunities,” he added.

The academy runs three programmes, covering new skilling for incoming drivers before they begin duties, reskilling for drivers preparing to become instructors, and annual refresher training. Graduates will then receive a competency certificate recognised by the Ministry of Transportation.

Its six to eight week intensive curriculum covers defensive driving, emergency response, customer service, and basic bus maintenance, alongside soft skills including communication, stress management, and driving ethics. 

TransJakarta, which covers roughly 92% of the Indonesian capital, currently has more than 12,000 drivers across its BRT, Non-BRT, and Mikrotrans services. Welfizon said that until the Academy launched, no formal education institution for bus drivers existed in Indonesia, unlike pilots or train operators, who have long had dedicated training pathways

Last year, TransJakarta Academy saw its first cohort graduate, with 19 out of 23 trainees successfully completing the programme after classes began in November 2024 and concluded in February 2025. Most recently, Jakarta’s BRT operator will also deploy 125 Mikrotrans drivers through the TransJakarta Academy to improve service quality and comfort.