JAKARTA (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The Greater Jakarta Transportation Agency (BPTJ) plans to substitute Transjakarta buses with trams in anticipation of an increase in the number of public transport passengers in the future.

BPTJ head Bambang Prihartono said while a Transjakarta bus could take only dozens of passengers, a tram - which will consist of seven cars - could take about 700 people.

Mr Bambang said the development of the trams had been regulated in the 2019 to 2029 Greater Jakarta Transportation System Blueprint.

The development would be conducted as a follow-up to the implementation of the even-odd traffic policy, which was claimed as successful in easing traffic in the capital.

However, the BPTJ and the city administration will only develop trams after implementing the Electronic Road Pricing system, he said.

Mr Bambang said the development would be conducted by using a government-to-business cooperation scheme.

"We have yet to know the cost of the project as we still need to review it, then prepare the pilot project," Mr Bambang said on Thursday (Oct 18), as quoted by tempo.co.

He added that he hoped the tram would support the operation of the MRT and the light rapid transit.