KAI plans to adjust fares of electric rail services

KAI plans to adjust fares of electric rail services

JAKARTA (JP): PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), the state railway
company, plans to adjust the fares of its electricity-operated
train (KRL) services in Greater Jakarta in line with the increase
in electricity rates taking effect next month.

The director of operations at KAI, Badar Zainie, said on
Saturday the plan called for simplifying the KRL fare structure
within Greater Jakarta into two fares: Rp 500 and Rp 1,000.

Current fares between Rp 300 and Rp 700 will be adjusted to Rp
500, and the current Rp 800 fare will be increased to Rp 1,000.

"We prefer to call it rounding off," Badar said at a public
dialog organized by the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) at
Kota railway station in Central Jakarta.

He could not say when the fare adjustments would be
implemented, because the plan is still awaiting approval from the
House of Representatives.

The fare adjustments address complaints that conductors are
often unable to give change, he said.

Director General of Land Transportation Santo Budiono
disclosed that KAI lost Rp 1 million each day in purchasing the
Rp 10 million worth of coins it distributed to train stations in
Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi.

YLKI executive Zoemrotin K.S., who moderated the discussion,
confirmed she had been told by Bank Indonesia that it could not
secure that amount in coins in one day.

The 150 or so participants at the dialog, mostly commuters who
use the KRL services, were divided on the proposed fare
adjustments.

"This is an additional burden on top of the increase in
electricity rates and fuel prices next month," said Devy, who
commutes between her home in Tambun, Bekasi, and Jakarta.

She also requested that KIA increase the frequency of the
trains, saying passengers often were crammed into overloaded
cars.

Gatot Murdianto, who heads the association of railway users in
Kranji, near Bekasi, said the fare adjustments were
understandable.

"The higher electricity rates mean higher operational costs,"
Gatot said.

Zoemrotin said the consumer agency had received calls from
people who planned to demonstrate if the KRL fares were
increased.

"We (YLKI) think the increase is reasonable, but the service
must also improve," she said.

Zoemrotin encouraged commuters to take advantage of the
Consumer Protection Law, which comes into effect on April 20, and
file complaints about poor service.

She said commuters should protest train delays, thefts and
other disruptions to their security and comfort.

KAI's electricity-operated trains in Greater Jakarta carry
400,000 commuters each day.

KAI president Eddy Haryono said the fare adjustments were
aimed at improving services, adding that the company had imported
72 used cars from Japan and installed double tracks in Manggarai,
Jatinegara, Bekasi and Serpong.

"These programs require a lot of money. For the cars from
Japan, for example, we needed Rp 27 billion to ship them. And
then there are the operational and maintenance costs," he said.

KAI also suffers heavy losses from vandalism, he said. Between
April and November, the company had to purchase 1,500 new windows
for its train cars, at a cost of Rp 5 million each.

The company has also lost around 140 voltage regulators
through theft, even though these regulators are locked up, he
said. Each regulator costs at least Rp 33 million.

Without the regulators, trains cannot operate automatically
and tend to arrive late, he added. (09)