All transport modes play a role in Indonesia's transport system and are generally complementary rather than competitive. Road transport is the predominant mode, accounting for about 70 percent of freight ton-km and 82 percent of passenger km.
There are four unconnected railway networks in Java and Sumatra dedicated primarily to transport bulk commodities and long-distance passenger traffic. Sea transport is extremely important for economic integration and for domestic and foreign trade. It is well developed, with each of the major islands having at least one significant port city.
The role of inland waterways is relatively minor and is limited to certain areas of Eastern Sumatra and Kalimantan. The function of air transport is significant, particularly where land or water transport is deficient or non-existent, and well established, based on an extensive domestic airline network where all major cities can be reached by passenger plane.
Roads and Highways
The total length of roads in 2004 reached about 340,000 km; out of which, 34,628 km were under the state responsibility; 649 km toll roads, 37,164 km under provincial responsibility; and the rest, 266,564 km under district responsibility.
Indonesia roads Of the total road length, 58 percent is paved. The national road network is in good condition with 95 percent paved and 81 percent in good and fair condition. The provincial road network is also predominantly in good or fair condition. The district rural and urban roads are only 50 percent in reasonable condition.
Densely populated Java, with 7 percent of Indonesia’s land area and 62 percent of its population, accounts for 27 percent of the classified road network. At the other end of the spectrum, Maluku and Papua, with 23 percent of the land area and only 2 percent of population, account for 7 percent of the network.
Indonesia’s first toll road was opened in 1978 and placed under the management of the state-owned toll road company,