PT Kereta Api admits disservice to public<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State PT Kereta Api Indonesia, the sole train
\noperator in the country, conceded on Wednesday that it failed in
\nits service to the public by being late to supply commuters with
\nmonthly rail passes.<\/p>\n
Masjraul Hidayat, head of the firm's Jakarta office, explained
\nthat the delay was mainly due to the time needed for printing due
\nto the new design of the passes.<\/p>\n
The passes should normally be available between the first and
\nfifth day of every month. Passes for the previous month are no
\nlonger valid after the fourth day of the following month.<\/p>\n
Masjraul did not apology on behalf of the company for the
\nunfavorable situation faced by thousands of Jakartans on
\nWednesday, but insisted that the passes would be available at all
\nof the city's railway stations from Thursday.<\/p>\n
"Hopefully, commuters will be obtaining the passes by
\nThursday," he said.<\/p>\n
"About 60 percent of the new passes actually reached train
\nstations throughout Jakarta today," Masjraul told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
According to Masjraul, the substantial change in the monthly
\npasses was necessary in an effort to avoid the firm from
\nsuffering serious financial losses as there had been substantial
\nindication of the use of counterfeit monthly passes by commuters.<\/p>\n
Two weeks ago, he said, railway staff arrested a passenger
\nfor using a fake pass at Mangga Besar Railway Station in Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
"The company is anticipating efforts by any party who might
\npossibly try to produce and distribute fake rail passes to the
\npublic," Masjraul said.<\/p>\n
The new version, he said, has a gold foil security seal to
\nmake it difficult to counterfeit.<\/p>\n
He explained that the passes were printed at a printing
\ncompany owned by the railway company in the West Java capital of
\nBandung.<\/p>\n
The price of the rail passes vary, depending upon the
\ndistance. In Jakarta, many buyers of passes are residents living
\nfar from their workplace.<\/p>\n
"We have some 127,000 people buying passes each month,"
\nMasjraul said.<\/p>\n
The price of monthly passes is much cheaper than one month's
\nworth of daily tickets.<\/p>\n
A monthly pass -- which can be used only for one return trip a
\nday -- between Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta and Serpong in
\nTangerang sells for Rp 12,500 for economy class. A regular one-
\nway economy ticket costs Rp 4,000.<\/p>\n
"There is no change in price for the new pass," Masjraul
\nexplained.<\/p>\n
The lack of announcement by PT Kereta Api Indonesia concerning
\nthe modification of its passes and their unavailability upset
\nthousands of Jakartans, who fronted up on Wednesday to buy their
\npasses.<\/p>\n
"Fortunately, my November pass is valid until Saturday. The
\ncompany should be more professional in serving its customers,"
\nsaid Aji Kamusi, 37, a resident in Ciputat district.<\/p>\n
Aji rides economy class every day from Sudimara Railway
\nStation in Tangerang to Tanah Abang Station in Central Jakarta.
\nFrom there, he then catches a public bus to his office on Jl.
\nSudirman.<\/p>\n
According to the deputy head of Tanah Abang Railway Station,
\nSumbudi, his office posted an announcement at the station
\nexplaining the matter.<\/p>\n
"There were indeed dozens of people who first intended to buy
\nthe passes at the counter, but they left after reading the
\nannouncement," said Sumbudi.<\/p>\n
The passes, which his office usually receives on the 25th of
\nevery month, have yet to reach his office.<\/p>\n
"We have yet to receive information on the delay of the
\narrival of the passes," he said.<\/p>\n
Approximately 750 people buy passes every month at the
\nstation, as shown in data at the station. (asa)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pt-kereta-api-admits-disservice-to-public-1447893297",
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