'Trains overcrowded, riddled with thugs'<\/p>\n
Commuter trains are cheap and fast, but many passengers complain
\nabout the poor service and lack of safety. Some commuters shared
\ntheir concerns with The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Awi, 52, is a freelance contractor who lives in Sudimara,
\nTangerang, with his wife and four children. He has taken the
\ntrain to his office in Kota, West Jakarta, for four years:<\/p>\n
In general, I would say that the management of (state-owned
\nrailway company, PT KAI), remains poor. How can such poor
\nmanagement ever produce a good and comfortable service for the
\npublic?<\/p>\n
Every day I have to travel by train and I am one of the
\nthousands of passengers who overcrowd the cars. I am among those
\nwho never feel secure aboard. I've often seen a group of thieves
\nmingle with the crowd.<\/p>\n
I have to follow the unwritten rules, such as getting on
\nwithout a ticket. I don't really like doing that, but I must be
\nas crazy as the other passengers. I used to buy a ticket but
\nothers laughed at me as if I'd done something foolish. I find it
\nhard to differentiate between right or wrong in such a routine
\nsituation on the train.<\/p>\n
On one hand, I want to exercise self-discipline by paying the
\nfare but I never get a seat. On the other, most of the others
\ndon't pay for a ticket but still occupy seats.<\/p>\n
I have many relatives who work as train conductors, but I'm
\nnot proud of them as they are all as corrupt as the other
\nofficials in the train company. I see every day that train
\nconductors take money from passengers and put it directly into
\ntheir own pockets. Worse still, they often work hand in hand with
\nthugs who illegally collect fares from passengers.<\/p>\n
I agree that both passengers and train company officials
\nshould be disciplined by deploying military officers on board who
\ncould take tough action against them as a kind of shock therapy.<\/p>\n
Windu, 45, is a trader in recycled plastic bottles. He resides
\nin Rangkasbitung, Banten, with his wife and three children. He
\ncomes from Yogyakarta:<\/p>\n
I like using the train as it's cheap compared with other forms
\nof public transportation.<\/p>\n
But I just can't believe how overcrowded the trains can be.
\nSometimes I get claustrophobic when I'm in the middle of a crowd.<\/p>\n
Chaos and uncontrolled flows of commuters are the images that
\nspring to mind if you think about commuter train transportation
\nin the city.<\/p>\n
Don't talk about improved service and security in such a
\nsituation. That's just a pipe dream for lower-income people like
\nme.<\/p>\n
The best approach is to be careful all the time. You have to
\nremain vigilant throughout your journey.<\/p>\n
I wanted to be an honest passenger by paying the fare. I did
\nit the first time I went by train years ago. But I could not
\nstand seeing all those others who rode for free, or who paid the
\nconductor after boarding.<\/p>\n
So, why should I stick to the rules if thousands of others
\ndon't? I know that's wrong, but am I really wrong, given that
\nstate of affairs?<\/p>\n
-- Leo Wahyudi S<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/trains-overcrowded-riddled-with-thugs-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }