Rimba Raya
| File:Bus Rimba Raya dengan Kasis Satu Satunya di Indonesia.jpg | |
| Founded | 1965 (forestry business) |
|---|---|
| Commenced operation | 1989 (shifted to transportation) |
| Headquarters | Bangsri–Keling Highway, Bangsri, Jepara, Central Java, Indonesia |
| Service area | Java and Bali |
| Service type | |
| Destinations |
|
| Lounge | Available at every representative office, especially for shuttle buses |
| Fuel type | |
| Chief executive | Muhammad Rizky Alamsyah |
| Website | rimbarayabus |
PT Rimba Raya Putra[lower-alpha 1] is a Indonesian bus company headquartered in Jepara Regency, Central Java. This bus company operates intercity bus, tour bus, and non-economy class shuttle bus. This bus company is one of the important players that has revolutionized the AKAP bus service serving Jakarta, Banten, and West Java routes to regencies in the "Muria Raya" region via the north coast of Java in the 2020s. The head office and main garage are located in Wedelan, Bangsri, Jepara.
History
Beginnings
Rimba Raya began as a rubber tree logging business, founded in 1965 by Sulaiman. This initial venture became the foundation for the Rimba Raya business group, which has continued to grow over time. At that time, business activities focused on the forestry and wood processing sectors, carried out gradually and diligently. From this simple endeavor, the entrepreneurial spirit of the founding family began to grow and became the seed for future expansion into other business sectors. [1]
Towards the early 1990s, Sulaiman's business began to shift into the land transportation sector on a small scale. Sulaiman saw a significant and promising opportunity in the land transportation sector. In its early stages, the transportation business was limited and operated simply, but it became a crucial step in the company's transformation from the forestry sector to the transportation services sector. This initiative marked a new chapter in the company's history.[1]
Over time, the transportation business evolved into a bus company serving passenger transportation. Initially, Rimba Raya served intercity bus routes within the provinces of Jepara Regency–Semarang City and Jepara–Pati Regency; round-trip routes. The presence of this service received a positive response from the local community, strengthening Rimba Raya's position as a pioneer in land transportation in the Jepara region. Sulaiman opened his operational headquarters and main garage on Jalan Raya Bangsri, Jepara–Keling, Jepara.[1]
Opening a tourist bus business
Then, the leadership of Rimba Raya was handed over to the second generation, Sulkhan. Under his leadership, the bus company began to expand into various other business areas. However, Sulkhan was determined to keep Rimba Raya focused on the transportation business, specifically tourist buses. With more professional management, Rimba Raya grew rapidly and began serving long-distance non-route businesses, including to tourist destinations such as Bali and Malang City. {Sfn Danendra 2018 p=52}}
Under the legal name PT Rimba Raya Putra, this bus company offers tourist bus services and debuted in March 2012. [2] At its inception, this company operated large buses with Daimler Truck OH 1526 chassis and Jetbus HD bodies manufactured by Adi Putro. Fleet expansion continued, and in 2016, Rimba Raya added several new buses with Mercedes-Benz OH 1526 and OH 1626 engines, as well as Hino R260 Air Suspension. The company's founder, Sulaiman, used the name "Rimba Raya," meaning "vast forest," symbolizing the company's hopes and vision to continue growing into a major enterprise in the future, resembling the vast and strong expanse of forest he pioneered from the beginning. [1]
Business Expansion
Rimba Raya's leadership then passed to the third generation, Muhammad Rizky Alamsyah. [3] Under Alamsyah, the bus company expanded beyond just serving tourist buses to also expand into the shuttle/travel business. as of 2021, it has served 3 routes.[4] Then, on December 15, 2024, this bus company entered the premium class intercity interprovincial bus business with the Jepara–Jakarta route.[5]
Fleet
PO Rimba Raya is known for its diverse and continuously expanding bus fleet, particularly in terms of chassis and bodywork, selected to support both intercity and tourism bus operations. Rimba Raya first debuted in tourist buses with Mercedes-Benz OH 1526 and Jetbus HD bodywork produced by Adi Putro. Later, this PO operated Mercedes-Benz OH 1526, OH 1626, and Hino R260 which were equipped with air suspension. However, in recent years, Rimba Raya has not only used standard chassis, but also explored premium chassis, components, and configurations to improve comfort and long-distance travel capabilities.[1]
Currently, the majority of Rimba Raya's fleet is made by bus bodies manufactured by Laksana for the flagship fleet. During its 8th anniversary celebration on March 19, 2020, the bus company launched a bus with a Hino RK 260 chassis with a Legacy SR-2 HD Prime body.[2] For the growing tourism segment, Rimba Raya also introduced the Prestige Ultimate bus with a Legacy body. SR]]-3 Neo XHD Prime Ultimate R mounted on Hino RM 280 chassis withair suspension. This bus has an aggressive exterior and an interior tailored to the operator's preferences. Although it lacks a restroom, it provides comfortable travel with its compact seating configuration and warm lighting.[6]
When developing intercity and regional (AKAP) routes, Rimba Raya relies heavily on premium chassis manufactured by Scania. Rimba Raya launched a sleeper bus with a Legacy SR-3 Neo Suites Class Ultimate R body on a Scania K450CB Euro 5 chassis. This sleeper bus unit carries a 1-1 configuration with a total of 26 sleeping seats, complete with video on demand (AVOD), USB, toilet, and water dispenser facilities, underscoring Rimba Raya's commitment to providing premium and comfortable AKAP services for customers.[7]
Rimba Raya is known to have two rare chassis types. The Rimba Raya buses that are much discussed in the automotive and bus transportation world are units with two Scania chassis types. While more often used for integrated bus services (BRT), they are also used for intercity and tourism bus services. These Scania K310iB 6x2 buses use Laksana's Laksana Legacy-3 XHD Prime Ultimate bodywork. Rimba Raya chose it for its tourist buses, placing it on a premium chassis with a 6x2 wheel configuration and a 9.3-liter engine with 310 hp (230 kW), providing a balance between power and efficiency for long-distance travel.[8]
In the AKAP bus segment, the typical BRT chassis is used by Rimba Raya is the Scania K250iB, which was introduced at the 2020 GIICOMVEC event and when exhibited, the chassis was mounted on a Transjakarta-style bus body. The 12 m (39 ft) long chassis uses a 9,000 cc (550 cu in) engine and has an engine power of up to 250 hp (190 kW). The chassis also has air suspension, anti-lock braking system (ABS), and a retarder. In Rimba Raya, the bus unit with this chassis uses the Legacy SR-3 Neo HD Panorama Prestige Ultimate R body from Laksana and uses a 2-1 configuration passenger seat equipped with a leg rest and has a toilet.[9]
In addition to Scania's premium variants and Laksana bodywork, Rimba Raya also relies on buses manufactured by Adi Putro. Rimba Raya launched the Jetbus 5 SHD bus, which is widely recognized in the Indonesian bus industry. This bus uses a Hino chassis, combining a modern double-glazed body with an interior focused on larger passenger capacity without a toilet, in accordance with the standards of a high-end tourist bus that maintains comfort through an entertainment playlist and a 2-2 seating configuration.[10]
Characteristic
At the beginning of its debut as a tourist bus, the Rimba Raya paint scheme was dominated by the color green which symbolizes nature (as (the founder's initial business venture) and hard work; and the color yellow symbolizes joy and enthusiasm. This color is also combined with silver, which symbolizes a bright future; and metallic colors, which symbolize the spirit of youth. [11] However, since entering the intercity and regional (AKAP) bus industry, Rimba Raya's tourism buses have a distinct appearance from those used for intercity and regional (AKAP) buses. These buses use a white base color with a combination of Tosca green.[9] Meanwhile, newer tourism buses use pink.[6]
There is also a special paint scheme, launched on March 19, 2020, to coincide with the company's anniversary. The paint scheme is turquoise blue combined with pink wave graphics. The bus's paint scheme was designed by Stefanus Nandi Febrian. [2]
Non-route business
Tour buses
Since its inception, Rimba Raya has provided tour bus rentals as its main business line. Popular destinations for its renters include Bali, Malang, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, and Bandung. The units are frequently rented by travel agencies, event organizers, and individual groups for various purposes, including family events, community events, company gatherings, religious tourism, and student trips. [12] As of 2018, Rimba Raya was most frequently rented by students, accounting for 39%. This shows that field trips were the biggest source of income for Rimba Raya at that time.[13]
Shuttle Bus
Since the 2010s and continuing to the present, shuttle/travel (shuttle/travel) has become popular among travelers in Central Java and Special Region of Yogyakarta. This is because the shuttle or travel are more flexible, safer, and more comfortable when compared to regular intercity buses within the province or the bumel buses. Rimba Raya also expanded its business by opening a shuttle bus service under the brand name Rimba Raya Premium Travel since March 6, 2019. As of 2021, Rimba Raya Premium Travel operates the routes Jepara–Yogyakarta, Kelet, Keling, Jepara–Jepara–Semarang, and Jepara–Solo. The units themselves use Toyota HiAce.[4] As its development progresses, Rimba Raya has also added two routes, namely Jepara–Cirebon and Jepara–Wonosobo–Purwokerto.
Rimba Raya also has a shuttle bus service using electric buses, branded as Rimba Raya e-Shuttle. The e-Shuttle shuttle bus is designed to provide a more modern and environmentally friendly travel experience. Launched in November 2025, the fleet will consist of electric buses manufactured by Wuling Motors, Wuling Mitra EV, and will serve the debut route of Semarang–Kudus Regency. [14]
Routes
Intercity Buses
Since the end of 2024, Rimba Raya has finally served interprovincial intercity buses. (AKAP) uses premium units and typical BRT chassis. Therefore, this AKAP bus service is branded as Rimba Raya Premium. The only main route from Rimba Raya is Jepara District, Jepara Regency, Central Java–DKI Jakarta, providing Fabulous and Marvelous classes. The Fabulous class is equivalent to the super executive class (using seats), while Marvelous—the highest class—uses sleeper bus (sleeper).[5]
Local buses
It's known that Rimba Raya still operates a local bus serving the Semarang-Jepara route, offering economy class, non-air-conditioned service. This route was once a popular destination for local bus passengers. However, over time, this type of local bus transportation has been phased out, replaced by private vehicles and other modern modes of transportation.
Notes
- ↑ The brand name Rimba Raya is written in lowercase
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Danendra 2018, p. 52.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Pratama, Ilham (2020-03-21). "New Bus Becomes a Special Gift for PO Rimba Raya's 8th Anniversary". otodriver (in Bahasa Indonesia). Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ↑ Danendra 2018, p. ix.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Pratama, Ilham (2021-03-16). "PO Rimba Raya Presents Intercity Services From Jepara". otodriver (in Bahasa Indonesia). Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Media, Kompas Cyber (2024-12-17). "New Bus Arrival Rimba Raya Premium, Jakarta-Jepara starting from IDR 280,000". KOMPAS.com (in Bahasa Indonesia). Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Radityasani, M.F.; Ferdian, A. (2024-11-19). "New Bus from PO Rimba Raya, Named Prestige Ultimate, Made by Laksana". Kompas.com. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
- ↑ Media, Kompas Cyber (2024-12-24). "PO Rimba Raya Premium Launches Sleeper Bus, More Seats Many". KOMPAS.com (in Bahasa Indonesia). Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ↑ Media, Kompas Cyber (2022-10-29). "Take a Peek at PO Rimba Raya's Unique Bus Chassis, the Scania K310iB Tronton". KOMPAS.com (in Bahasa Indonesia). Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Media, Kompas Cyber (2024-12-09). "PO Rimba Raya Launches AKAP Bus Using Rare Chassis". KOMPAS.com (in Bahasa Indonesia). Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ↑ Media, Kompas Cyber (2024-06-26). "PO Rimba Raya Adds New Tourist Bus, Using Jetbus 5". KOMPAS.com (in Bahasa Indonesia). Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ↑ Danendra 2018, p. 53.
- ↑ Danendra 2018, p. 59.
- ↑ Danendra 2018, p. 65.
- ↑ "Rimba Raya's Mitra EV E Shuttle Serves Semarang–Kudus Round Trip Route". Tribunjateng.com (in Bahasa Indonesia). Retrieved 2026-01-21.
Sources
- Danendra, J.S. (2018). The Influence of Experiential Marketing, Service Quality, and Satisfaction on Repurchase Intention (Case Study on PO Rimba Raya Tourism Bus Users) (S1 thesis). Universitas Diponegoro. Archived from the original on 2024-08-12.
External links
- Official website
- Official website of Rimba Raya Travel (for shuttle buses)
- List of routes and schedules for Rimba Raya Travel
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 466: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 466: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]]. |
Template:Bus companies in Indonesia
This article "Rimba Raya" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Rimba Raya. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
