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)