Railways fed up with scalpers

JAKARTA (JP): The country's train operator, PT Kereta Api Indonesia, is fed up with ticket scalpers at most of the train stations in the capital, an official said on Thursday.

The company's spokesman, Gatot Widodo, said a major difficulty for the firm to take the scalpers to court were the legal procedures.

"Passengers have repeatedly complained to the company about the matter. But a lack of evidence has made it difficult for us to take them to court," Gatot said while visiting Gambir Railway Station in Central Jakarta on Thursday.

The company, formerly called Perumka, also faced difficulties in recognizing the scalpers since they dressed as passengers and preferred to line up to get tickets, he added.

In order to limit the scalpers' business, he said, the company occasionally announced, particularly during peak hours, reserved train cars only an hour before departure.

"Another strategy is offering rewards worth Rp 200,000 cash to people who are able to catch scalpers in the act," said Gatot.

Unfortunately, he said, there was no positive response to the scheme.

Passengers and railway staff said scalpers usually packed stations during the peak hours on Friday afternoons and Saturday, Sunday and Monday mornings.

Gambir Railway Station was bustling on Thursday as people bought tickets for the weekend.

PT Semen Cibinong, for example, booked 104 seats for the Argo Lawu executive class trains which depart Jakarta for Surakarta on Friday night, leaving many regular passengers unable to find seats for the trip. The tickets were sold at Rp 115,000 each.

Scores of scalpers were seen standing near ticket booths, offering tickets to passersby.

Two security personnel sitting on a desk in front of the booths did nothing to stop the scalpers.

Bey Arif, Gambir's stationmaster, said he ordered the ticketing staff to identify the scalpers and not sell them tickets.

"But many passengers still need the scalpers' service," Bey said.

Business-class ticket buyers, he said, were reluctant to get in line and preferred buying tickets from the scalpers, although the price was much higher.

"It raises the scalpers' spirit to sell tickets here," he said.

A scalper, for example, offered The Jakarta Post on Thursday a ticket for Argo Lawu's Solo (Surakarta) destination at Rp 170,000.

He claimed to have bought the tickets from a travel agent, who set the price higher than the usual cost.

"Therefore, the ticket I sell to you is more expensive than the actual cost," he said.

Gambir Station provides passengers with 45 executive and business class trains for destinations, such as Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya.

About 8,000 to 12,000 passengers use the trains at the station per day. (asa)