PT KAI loses Rp 48m for

PT KAI loses Rp 48m for
fans riding for free

Yuli Tri Suwarni
The Jakarta Post
Bandung

State railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) has
suffered a loss of more than Rp 48 million (US$4,752) for
providing free transportation for East Java-bound soccer fans.

The company waived the fare for some 1,800 supporters of
Surabaya's Persebaya soccer team for their return to the East
Java capital after the Liga Mandiri national soccer league's
semifinal match last Thursday. Persebaya lost 1-2 to Jakarta's
Persija in the match.

"We had no choice but to serve them. As a public
transportation company, we have to suffer such a loss again,"
Gatot Wibowo, the company's chief of public relations said in
Bandung on Wednesday.

Gatot said that the loss was based on the price of a single
economy class ticket from Jakarta to Surabaya, which is Rp
27,000.

The amount, he said, did not include the damage done to the
Argo Muria executive class train. The Argo Muria train, serving
the Jakarta-Semarang route, was stoned at Tegal railway station,
Central Java, by Persebaya supporters on their way home

"They stoned the Argo Muria because we rejected their demand
for meals," he added.

PT KAI always suffers losses from the supporters' behavior
when the Indonesian Soccer Association holds its annual national
soccer league competition.

As a state transportation company, Gatot said, PT KAI was
faced with a social duty in providing the economy class service.

"But this kind of free service has to be stopped, because it
is counterproductive to our efforts to make a profit," he said.

He called on the soccer association and the league match
committee to be more anticipative when holding soccer matches,
especially in dealing with supporters. He suggested that the
committee seek sponsors who would pay transportation costs for
supporters.