Royal Safari

For other uses, see Safari (disambiguation).

PT Sadaya Ampat Fokker Abadi Rukun Indah

Intercity bus within the province Royal Safari with the Solo–Semarang route
Founded	1979 (1979)
Headquarters	Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia
Service area	Solo–Semarang lines
Service type	Intercity bus
Fleet	50 unit (2020)

PT Sadaya Ampat Fokker Abadi Rukun Indah (acronym from the name SAFARI) is a Indonesian bus company headquartered in Salatiga, Central Java. Known as a regular player on the intercity route within the province of Semarang–Solo, this bus company used to use the brand name Safari Eka Kapti, before experiencing internal divisions. Now, this company operates intercity bus and tourism with four brands: Royal Safari and Taruna for intercity buses within the province, Blue Star for tourist buses, and Blue Line for intercity buses between provinces.

History

Beginnings: Safari Eka Kapti

Safari Eka Kapti was founded in 1979 in Salatiga, Central Java, by two grocery traders named "Koh Wiik" and "Kon Shin" (the Budiasih 2002 version mentions that the founder is one person named Hadi Wijaya). The establishment of this company was motivated by the increasing need of the community for safe, comfortable, and affordable intercity transportation amidst the development of economic activities and population mobility in Central Java in the late 1970s. Safari Eka Kapti began operations with two buses serving the main route Solo–Salatiga–Semarang. Since its inception, the company has prioritized professionalism and passenger comfort, quickly gaining recognition and trust among the surrounding community.

In the 1980s, Safari Eka Kapti began expanding its service network by adding new fleets and routes. The company was known for its high-standard fleet, using chassis and engines manufactured by Mercedes-Benz, known for their robustness and comfort. This business expansion also marked the change in the company's status from being just a local family business to a respected intercity transportation operator in Central Java and East Java. Known as the "king of acquisitions", Safari Eka Kapti bought many buses and routes from other bus companies, especially those that were in ailing condition. For example, Raya Indah with the route Wonogiri–Solo–Semarang, and Giri Indah with the Wonogiri–Solo–Semarang route in 1987 (and changed its brand to Taruna). In this decade, Safari Eka Kapti also opened the route Semarang–Magelang–Yogyakarta (acquisition of PO Joko Kendil, using the Safari brand), and opened the routes Semarang–Purworejo, Semarang–Ponorogo, and Semarang–Pacitan (all three using the brand Duta Kartika). The last acquisition was carried out in the 1990s by acquiring the AKDP route PO Rajawali and replaced it with the brand name Satria.Template:Need reference

However, the acquisition of the problematic bus company was not without challenges. When acquiring the PO Kembang Mas route, in connection with the opening of the new brand "Fajar Karya" (later "Duta Kartika") in 1985–1986, Safari Eka Kapti, which was then led by Muhyiddin H.S., faced a fraud incident involving the transaction of three bus units by a party related to PO Kembang Mas. This case became an important lesson for management to strengthen the administration and finance system to remain strong in facing business risks in the transportation world.

Entering the 1990s, PO Safari Eka Kapti reached its peak. Its bus fleet increasingly operated on major routes on Java Island, such as Semarang–Solo–Surabaya and Yogyakarta–Jakarta. During this period, the company began to be widely recognized for its bus services that prioritized punctuality and passenger comfort. The management structure began to be more professional, with a clear division of operational, technical, and administrative functions. Safari Eka Kapti's success in maintaining service quality and expanding its route network has made it one of the leading bus companies in Central Java and an inspiration for many other transportation businesses.

Following the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, Safari Eka Kapti planned to open a dedicated company or brand for tourist buses. With the establishment of Blue Star in 2004, Safari Eka Kapti's journey can be said to have entered a new chapter in the history of Indonesian land transportation. On the one hand, the existing brands Safari, Taruna, Satria, and Duta Kartika continue the service tradition established since 1979; On the other hand, Blue Star emerged as a manifestation of regeneration and a new entrepreneurial spirit from the extended family of Safari Eka Kapti's founders.

Company Split

Safari Lux bus with the same route as Safari Eka Kapti

In 2006, internal dynamics within Safari Eka Kapti's founding family led to differing views on the company's business direction. These differing visions primarily concerned the division of operational areas, fleet management, and new route plans. This situation ultimately led to the company split into two:

• Safari Eka Kapti then transformed into PT SAFARI, which oversees four bus brands: Royal Safari, Taruna, Satria, and Blue Star.
• PT Safari Jaya Mandiri, operates the Safari Lux brand, and has a Solo–Jakarta route. This management has been completely separated from Safari Eka Kapti.

Fleet and Routes

Since its inception, Safari Eka Kapti and its successor, Royal Safari, have consistently used chassis and engines manufactured by Mercedes-Benz from various generations.

After an internal split in 2006, the buses operating were Royal Safari and Taruna. Royal Safari focuses on intercity routes within the provinces of Semarang–Solo, supported by 170 employees and 50 buses.

Blue Star and Blue Line

PT Blue Star Karsa Unggul

Units armada of Blue Star tourist bus with Jetbus5 bodywork in Tanah Lot, Bali
Parent	PT SAFARI
Founded	2004 (2004)
Headquarters	Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia
Service area	Java Bali Sumatra
Service type	Tourist bus shuttle bus employee intercity bus
Fuel type	Diesel
Operator	PT Blue Star Karsa Unggul PT SAFARI
Operations Director	Andreas Dian Widjaja
Website	busbluestar.co.id

PT Blue Star Karsa Unggul is a subsidiary of PT SAFARI which specifically serves tourist bus and domestic company employee shuttles, founded in 2004. Blue Star is a tourist bus company that is quite well-known because it serves many private companies local and foreign, BUMN, schools, social foundations, and even family events (weddings). Blue Star buses are even regularly rented for the mudik program. In the intercity and interprovincial bus segment, this company operates the Blue Line brand.

Fleet

Blue Star is known to have used a variety of chassis and bodywork. For its large buses, Blue Star relies on Mercedes-Benz OH 1626, while its medium buses use Isuzu NQR 81 Euro 4. Blue Star also operates small buses Isuzu Elf and Toyota HiAce.

In 2003, Mercedes-Benz Indonesia (now Daimler Commercial Vehicles Indonesia) purchased the only OH 1632 chassis for Indonesia. The chassis was initially used for coaching clinics held at the Mercedes-Benz training center in Ciputat, South Tangerang. This series was also introduced as part of MBI's plan to introduce electric buses, complete with air suspension and high power. Initially it was operated by Perum DAMRI, then in 2011, Blue Star bought the bus. This bus was originally a tourist route, then diverted to an intercity bus (Blue Line) with the route Matesih–Ciputat, before finally being closed to focus on the tourism business again.

Regarding bus bodywork, Blue Star is loyal to bus bodywork produced by Adi Putro for its large buses, while its medium buses use bus bodies made by Piala Mas. It is noted that since the beginning of its operations, Blue Star has been known to always follow the trend of bus bodywork made by Adi Putro, starting from ordering Royal Coach Old Setra bodies to Adi Putro in the 2000s, before the bodywork company switched to Travego models, then New Setra Jetbus2+, and Jetbus3+. The latest is, Blue Star purchased 100 new buses with Jetbus5 HDD bodies on OH 1626 chassis.

Intercity and interprovincial routes

In 2020 and 2021, ahead of Eid al-Fitr, the Indonesian government officially banned mudik and traveling activities as an effort to handle the Covid-19 pandemic. Under these circumstances, Blue Star stated that it was not yet prepared to make operational decisions or determine policies regarding homecoming departures, as it was awaiting a final decision and official guidance from the relevant authorities.

Due to the sluggish tourism business, Blue Star launched an intercity bus service under the Blue Line brand at the end of 2020. In 2021, Blue Star, having to wait for a final government decision for some time, adjusted fares for the intercity and regional routes it serves. Based on a report on April 21, 2021, for routes from DKI Jakarta to Central Java and East Java, fares increased gradually to Rp460,000 for East Java destinations during the period April 30–May 5. For the Blue Line service itself, Blue Star only operates in VIP class, with 36 seats in a 2-2 configuration and includes facilities such as mineral water, snacks, and toilet—although it is not yet equipped with a footrest.

References

Bibliography

• Budiasih, N.N. (2002). Feasibility Study of Additional Investment in Fixed Assets: Case Study on PO Safari Eka Kapti Salatiga (PDF) (S1 thesis). Sanata Dharma University. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
• Rahardja, Y.; Ayu, O.; Wijaya, A.F. (2020). "Strategic planning of information systems at the Royal Safari bus company". Jurnal Bina Computers. 1 (1): 98–105.

External links

• Official website

Template:Bus companies in Indonesia

This article "Royal Safari" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Royal Safari. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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