PT KAI Director Explains Reasons for Placing Women's Carriages at the Ends of Trains
PT KAI (Persero)’s President Director, Bobby Rasyidin, stated that the placement of special women’s carriages on electric rail trains or KRL takes into account comfort and ease. “We do not differentiate based on safety levels between female and male genders,” said Bobby at Bekasi Timur Station on Wednesday, 29 April 2026.
He said that PT KAI has always prioritised comfort, security, and ease of access for female passengers. He added that the function of the special carriage does not reflect differences in safety levels for passengers based on gender.
Bobby explained that the separation of general and special women’s carriages considers three aspects. The first is as an effort to prevent violence against female passengers.
The second aspect is to provide ease of access for women. The final aspect is to provide greater security for women. “It’s closer to the guards available, from end to end,” he said.
Previously, the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), Arifatul Choiri Fauzi, proposed an evaluation of the placement of special women’s carriages in KRL trains following a train accident at Bekasi Timur.
According to him, operators need to review the position of women’s carriages, which are currently at the front and rear, to improve safety aspects. “We propose placing women’s carriages in the middle,” said Arifatul at Bekasi City General Hospital on Tuesday, 28 April 2026.
As for men’s carriages, according to him, they can be placed at the front and rear of the train. Arifatul conveyed this proposal after observing the composition of victims in the accident. According to him, the majority of victims were women in the special carriages.
Based on information from PT Kereta Api Indonesia, the current placement of women’s carriages aims to avoid passenger overcrowding. However, Arifatul assessed that safety aspects must be the primary concern in future evaluations. “Safety must be the primary concern,” he said.
In addition to proposing an evaluation, the Ministry of PPPA is accompanying the victims, both medically and psychologically. This accompaniment is necessary because some victims are experiencing trauma from the incident.
Arifatul said that several victims are experiencing trauma and require special accompaniment. According to him, this condition is an important note for his ministry to strengthen women’s protection, including in public transportation aspects.