Skip to main content

Commuters in Indonesia can exchange used plastic bottles for free bus trips

The city of Surabaya, Indonesia, is giving free bus rides to commuters who provide used plastic bottles as part of a strategy encourage recycling. This initiative is expected to serve the city’s ambition to eliminate plastic waste by 2020. Citizens can travel on red city buses by dropping off plastic bottles at terminals or can use the bottles to pay for their fares. Reuters says a two-hour bus ticket costs ten plastic cups or up to five plastic bottles, depending on their size. Labels and bo
October 31, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
The city of Surabaya, Indonesia, is giving free bus rides to commuters who provide used plastic bottles as part of a strategy encourage recycling.

This initiative is expected to serve the city’s ambition to eliminate plastic waste by 2020.

Citizens can travel on red city buses by dropping off plastic bottles at terminals or can use the bottles to pay for their fares.

%$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external Reuters false https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-environment-plastics-bus/plastic-to-ride-indonesians-swap-bottles-for-bus-tickets-idUSKCN1MX1OD false false%> says a two-hour bus ticket costs ten plastic cups or up to five plastic bottles, depending on their size.

Labels and bottle caps from the collected bottles are auctioned off to recycling companies. The money earned goes towards running bus operations and funding green spaces in the city in Java, Indonesia’s main island.

Irvan Wahyu Drajad, head of Surabaya’s transportation department, says Indonesia is one of the biggest contributors to plastic waste in the world.
 
“Through this initiative, we hope to raise public awareness on the environment, especially issues that relate to plastic trash,” Wahyu Drajad adds.

Related Content

  • January 24, 2019
    Ford’s decision to bin Chariot ride-share service came after ‘significant consideration’
    Ford has given no explanation for the decision to abandon its ride-sharing shuttle service Chariot, but said it came after “significant consideration”. The service will stop operating on UK shuttle commuter routes tomorrow – after just a few months - and on US routes after 1 February. All Chariot services will cease completely by the end of March. A statement from the company gave little clue as to why: “In today’s mobility landscape, the wants and needs of customers and cities are changing rapidly. We a
  • September 3, 2018
    Gig economy drivers and riders at increased risk of collisions, warns UCL
    Self-employed courier or taxi drivers who get their work through apps could be more likely to be involved in a collision, says a new study. The University College London (UCL) research found 63% of ‘gig’ economy respondents – who are not paid a salary - are not provided with safety training about managing risks on the road. The emerging issues for management of occupational road risk in a changing economy: A survey of gig economy drivers, riders and their managers also revealed 65% of drivers did not
  • January 22, 2018
    CCDD launches platform to reduce distracted driving in Canada
    To help governments and stakeholders develop effective strategies to reduce distracted driving, the Canadian Coalition on Distracted Driving has launched a new web-based information hub at www.diad.tirf.ca/ehub. It is led by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) and its Drop It And Drive program, in partnership with The Co-operators.
  • February 8, 2019
    Miovision partners with CT Group to distribute traffic signal platform across US
    Traffic signal control specialist CT Group is to distribute Miovision’s TrafficLink ITS platformacross the US in a new partnership between the two companies. The exclusive deal will see CT selling the product in 31 states from Alaska to Wyoming. TrafficLink is a turnkey solution for remote traffic signal management, with managed cellular connection and tools for signal monitoring, video streaming, maintenance alerts and traffic data insights. “As more cities aim to become data-driven smart cities,