Scalpers at Pelni

Scalpers at Pelni

From Warta Kota

A few days ago I visited the state-owned Pelni shipping company building in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, to purchase tickets for Jakarta to Batam on the SS Kelud. According to the information I received the price for a third-class ticket is Rp 203,500.

As per the procedure, I filled out a form, submitted it to the sales counter and waited. Not long after I was called and informed that the tickets were sold out.

"You should have come three weeks ago," said the ticket salesperson. That was really weird, because the tickets I required were well in advance and were in fact for the coming three weeks.

On my way out of the building I was accosted by a young man, who in short clearly offered his services to help me get the above tickets at an astoundingly exorbitant price: Rp 280,000. Later, I found out there were at least six such scalpers moving about and offering tickets with the greatest freedom on the third floor of the building right under the noses of security personnel.

As customers of Pelni, the public is really at the losing end, especially those of us with limited incomes.

It is high time scalpers at Pelni were eradicated once and for all.

B. SUBAGYO

Bekasi, West Java