Middlemen still in operation

Middlemen still in operation

From Neraca

The practice of middlemen at some railway stations in Jakarta is still rife. This is contradictory to the statement of the communications minister, who said that such practice no longer exists.

When I wanted to buy tickets, in Gambir Station, for Yogyakarta, the official in the ticket box told me that the seats were not available. But when I moved back a few steps two people promised to find three seats for me and asked me to pay Rp 5000 per seat. I tried to negotiate but they insisted on that price. As I had to take my family along, I had no choice but to pay the men.

When I got into the train, I found out that several seats were vacant. How could it happen, I wondered? Later it was obvious from my conversation with fellow passengers that the seats were in the hands of the middlemen, while the tickets were unsold.

Also I was confused by the differences in price of the Senja Utama ticket for the Jakarta-Solo and Solo-Jakarta trains, which run on exactly the same track. If you take the Gambir (Jakarta)- Solo train, you pay Rp 24,000, but Solo-Jakarta train costs you only Rp 21,000. How come?

SOEPARDJONO

Tangerang, West Java