Bataviasche Tramweg, 1934 | Jakarta's Defunct Tramways

The Bataviasche Tramweg (Batavian Tramways) was once the tram system that dominated the city of Jakarta from 1869-1962. This tram system has existed since the city's Dutch colonial times in 1869 when Batavia (the former name of Jakarta) served as the capital of the Dutch East Indies, the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945, and the Indonesian independence under President Soekarno's rule, where it met it's last days in 1962. This map specifically dates the tram system during its peak times in 1934 with 5 lines serving the regions of Batavia (now Kota Tua), Koningsplein (now Gambir), Meester Cornelis (now Jatinegara), Pasar Senen, Menteng, etc. There were plans to extend the system as far as Paal Merah (now Palmerah) and greater parts of Menteng, but were unfortunately canceled due to financial problems. ~~~ The history of tram transportation in Batavia (now Jakarta) dates back to 1869 when the first horse tram was operated by Bataviasche Tramweg Maatschappij (BTM). In 1881, BTM became Nederlands-Indische Tramweg Maatschappij (NITM) and transitioned to steam locomotives. Electric trams were introduced in 1899 by Batavia Elektrische Tram Maatschappij (BETM), leading to competition with NITM. In 1930, NITM and BTM merged to form Bataviasche Verkeers Maatschappij (BVM), which electrified former NITM routes in 1933-34. However, BVM faced financial challenges during the Great Depression and had to close its bus service. During the Japanese occupation, the tram system was controlled by the Japanese army and underwent changes, including the renaming of the system to Seibu Rikuyo Batavia Shiden, and then, Jakaruta Shiden (ジャカルタ市電, Jakarta Trams). After Indonesian independence, it was briefly operated as the Djakarta-Kota Tram before being nationalized as Pengangkoetan Penoempang Djakarta (PPD) in 1957, but eventually discontinued due to urban planning concerns in 1962. ~~~ Please note that this map may not be accurate to what the system formerly looked like and is based on my research about the city's former trams. Some stations may have inaccurate locations and/or more stations that existed that weren't listed. I hope this map can be an important lesson in preserving Jakarta's public transportation history!