PT KAI will Improve Train Stations and Arrange Railway Crossings
Reported by Folmer | Translated by Arief Rahman
Many Jakartans turning their transportation to train due to fuel (BBM) price hike. This phenomenon is responded by Edi Sukmoro, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) President Director, who promised to improve train stations and facilities for passengers as well as to prevent train accidents and delayed departures.
We will arrange Tanah Abang Station, Gambir Station, and Manggarai Station, including railway crossings. There still many railway crossings that can trigger traffic accident between train and vehicle
“I only continue what have been done by Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan (former PT KAI President Director). The cooperation with Mr. Ahok on stations arrangement is not yet finished. We will continue it,” stated Sukmoro after meeting Jakarta Governor Basuki ‘Ahok’ T Purnama at City Hall, Tuesday (12/2).
Other things discussed by Sukmoro and Ahok were about the arrangement of railway crossings to reduce traffic congestion and prevent delayed trains.
Parking Tariff Hikes, Bajaj and Taxi Drivers in Gambir Station Protest“We will arrange Tanah Abang Station, Gambir Station, and Manggarai Station, including railway crossings. There still many railway crossings that can trigger traffic accident between train and vehicles,” he told.
According to Sukmoro, this arrangement program must be immediately done, especially because next year PT KAI plans to add trains and carriages.
“All carriages are already available now. We’re currently certifying them, worthiness test. Next year, we add more carriages. That’s why those railway crossings must be arranged,” he uttered.
PT KAI is also thinking of various ways to unravel the clutter in train stations. One of them is by providing bicycle rent.
“In some big stations, we will provide bicycle rent, so they (train passengers) would not need to be picked up by cars,” he explained.
With arrangements, Sukmor hopes there would be more people switch to use rail-based mass transportation.
“Year 2019 target is that trains would be able to transport 1.2 million passengers. Now it is 700 thousand passengers. Almost everyone nowadays has shift to using commuterline,” he said.
