The city's best of stations, and its worst of stations

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The stench of urine welcomes commuters as they step off the electric train at Cikini station in Central Jakarta, an unpleasant reminder that at least 50 street people call the station home.

"Fixing the facilities is not our first priority," said Endang Suryana, one of only three employees of state railway company PT KAI working at the station.

He told The Jakarta Post that of the about Rp 30 million (US$3,334) in daily ticket sales at the station, none of the money was used for maintenance or to beef up security. The station's employees, meanwhile, do not have the heart to run off the homeless people.

"The main office gives us a monthly operational budget that is just enough to pay the 27 contract employees," Endang said.

Cigarette vendor Badrul, 32, who has been peddling his goods at the station for five years, said that as long as homeless people were allowed to live in the station, there was no hope of fixing up the place.

"And they do not want to be moved," he said.

Compared to Cikini station, the next stop on the line, Dukuh Atas, now known as Sudirman station, also in Central Jakarta, comes up smelling of roses.

"I can guarantee that there is no one living here anymore. No one is allowed to sleep in the station after 6 p.m.," station master Octriwansyah said.

He said the last family living in an out-of-order bathroom had moved to a nearby rental house in 2001 after he helped them open a small kiosk in the station.

Tole, 16, who was born in the station, said most of the people who used to live in the station could now afford to rent rooms or houses nearby by selling fruit or newspapers in the station.

Although the Sudirman station has as limited a budget as Cikini station, Octriwansyah has been able to involve the surrounding community, including many gang members and prostitutes, in helping to maintain the station.

"We simply asked them nicely to work together to improve the image of the station from that of an unsafe place into a friendly place," he said.

The station, which saw more than 570,000 commuters pass through the building in March, is free of graffiti thanks to the effort of members of the community, who wash the station's walls on Fridays.

To improve the atmosphere even more, old love songs are played over the loudspeakers during the peak hours from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

And these efforts paid off, with more than Rp 570 million in ticket sales in March.

"When I first started five years ago, the income was only Rp 9 million a month," Octriwansyah recalled.

Even though most passengers feel Sudirman station provides better service than the 44 other stations across Greater Jakarta, they still want more security officers at the station.

"I always carry my PDA ... I always take extra care with my belongings because of pickpockets," said Antonius, a Serpong resident who works at the Sudirman Central Business District.

Octriwansyah said at least eight police officers were already assigned to the station. He added that the "station needs six people to clean it regularly and also needs repairs to parts of the building. I have asked for an increase in the Rp 4 million monthly budget, but have yet to receive a response". (006)