Railway company increases train fares

Railway company increases train fares

BANDUNG (JP): Train fares were increased by 28 percent yesterday for economy class and by 14 percent for business and executive classes, in line with the government's decision to increase other transportation fares.

Djoko Martojo, a spokesman for the state-owned railway company Perumka, said the fare hike conforms with last Wednesday's Ministry of Transportation decree.

The trains whose non-economy class fares will be increased include the Parahyangan Jakarta-Bandung train, with a new rate of Rp 25,000 (US$10.86) for executive class and Rp 15,000 for business class; the Senja Utama Jakarta-Solo train, Rp 57,000 for executive class and Rp 28,000 for business class; the Bima Jakarta-Surabaya train, Rp 110,000 for a sleeper, Rp 70,000 for executive class and Rp 45,000 for business class; and the Senja Utama Jakarta-Yogyakarta train, Rp 55,000 for executive class and Rp 25,000 for business class.

Fare hikes for economy-class trains will raise rates for the Argo Puro Yogyakarta-Banyuwangi train to Rp 9,000 and the Mutiara Timur Surabaya-Banyuwangi train to Rp 4,500.

However Djoko said the fares for a number of trains will not be increased. These include the executive Sembrani train serving Jakarta-Surabaya, whose fare remains at Rp 80,000; the Turangga Bandung-Surabaya train, Rp 60,000 for executive class and Rp 40,000 for business class; the Argo Gede Jakarta-Bandung train, Rp 30,000 and the Argo Lawu Jakarta-Solo train, Rp 60,000 for executive class.

Djoko claimed the fare increase were still lower than the increase in the trains' operational costs.

For trains serving the Greater Jakarta Area fares should be set at Rp 1,000, but passengers are only required to pay 20 percent of the fares.

He said the new fares do not cover insurance and other additional costs, such as for food during the trip. (17/pwn)