Padang
Padang (Indonesian pronunciation: [ˈpadaŋ]) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra.[4] It had a population of 833,562 at the 2010 Census[5] and 909,040 at the 2020 Census;[6] the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 919,145 - comprising 461,712 males and 457,433 females.[3] It is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra.[7] The Padang metropolitan area is the third most populous metropolitan area in Sumatra with a population of over 1.4 million.[8] Padang is widely known for its Minangkabau culture, cuisine, and sunset beaches.
This article is about the city in Indonesia. For other uses, see Padang (disambiguation).
The city had historically been a trading center since the pre-colonial era, in both pepper and gold. The Dutch made contact with the city in the mid 17th century, eventually constructing a fortress and taking over control of the city from the Pagaruyung Kingdom. Save for several interruptions of British rule, Padang remained part of the Dutch East Indies as one of its major cities until Indonesian independence.[9] In 1906, Padang, along with Palembang, became the first populated places in Sumatra to achieve city status (gemeente).[2]
Infrastructure[edit]
Public transport[edit]
The TransPadang bus rapid transit service was developed used Jakarta's TransJakarta system as a model, but without a dedicated lane and comfortable shelters. Today Trans Padang runs only from Lubuk Buaya to Pasar Raya, a distance of 18 km, with a fleet of 10 large buses (capacity 60) and 15 medium buses (capacity 40). Daily passengers number 7,000, an increase from the initial ridership of 4,000. The load factor is 128% in the morning and evening rush hours.
Airport[edit]
The city is served by the newly opened Minangkabau International Airport in Ketaping, Padang Pariaman. It replaces the old Tabing Airport, which is currently used as a military base. There is one terminal building for both international and domestic flights. The airport has 4 aerobridges, 17 check-in counters, 5 baggage conveyors, and 9 ticket sales counters.[30] In late 2013, the runway was lengthened by 250 metres so that it could accommodate Boeing 747 and Airbus A340 planes. There is also a connection from the airport to the city center with a train service.[31] A terminal expansion (Phase II) has been announced with the rendering already released on the Angkasa Pura 2 website.[32]
Seaport[edit]
Padang's Teluk Bayur harbour (the former Emmahaven Port) is the largest and busiest harbour on the west coast of Sumatra. It serves inter-island as well as international routes. It was built in 1888 by the colonial government of the Netherlands. On 29 April 2013 a new container terminal was officially opened by West Sumatra Governor which can hold more than 4,000 containers in 46,886 square-meter area.[33] The port is the main gateway to the Mentawai islands, including Siberut, Sipora, and South Pagai. There are also ferry connections between Padang to Jakarta and Sibolga next to Gunung Sitoli (Nias).
Toll road[edit]
West Sumatra administration has secured lands for the construction of a 28-kilometres toll road between Padang and Sicincin district with about Rp.1.3 trillion ($141.7 million) investment. It is a part of Padang-Pekanbaru toll road with a total length of 244 kilometres. 80 percent of the land with a width of 30 metres has been acquired, but they will acquire more land to meet an ideal width of 50 metres. The construction project has officially began in February 2018.[34]
Railroad[edit]
Railroad tracks connect Padang to Pariaman to the north, Padangpanjang to the northeast, Solok and Sawahlunto to the east. The largest train station is Padang Station, known as Simpang Haru station. Sibinuang and Dang Tuanku provides the trip services from Padang (Simpang Haru) to Pariaman vice versa.
