Kept in the dark

Kept in the dark

From Neraca

The April disruption of rail services was unexpected. The electricity on the Jakarta-Bogor electric train was suddenly cut off, affecting the line between the Pasar Minggu station and Tanjung Barat. A minor incident occurred at the Manggarai station, but I think it was not extraordinary under the circumstances.

Regrettably, the railway management did not act quickly to inform waiting passengers of the disturbance in services. The situation would have been different if this had been done, as stranded passengers could have looked for alternative transportation.

Instead, due to the insensitivity of the railway managers, the passengers sat in the dark for two hours. They finally lost their patience and started throwing stones at the railway office and canteen. This incident could have been avoided if only the company were quick to act and considered the passengers' feelings. They could have provided a diesel train and explained to passengers the holdup.

I hope this incident will serve as a good lesson to the railway company in providing passenger services in the future.

DARMANSJAH

Bogor, West Java