L

asih, along with dozens of residents of Wijaya Kusuma subdistrict in West Jakarta, waited her turn to make a new identity card at a mobile service center on Saturday morning.

"I lost my old card and did not have time to go to the subdistrict office," Lasih, a factory worker, said.

Sophian, a private employee, said his ID card would expire soon.

"Today was the only time I had and thankfully it takes less time to get a new ID through this service," he said. "It can take two days if I try to get a new ID in the subdistrict office."

Holding a valid ID card is essential to be issued with other administrative documents such as a drivers license, taxpayer registration number and marriage certificate.

The mobile ID card service, designed to serve city residents who cannot find time on weekdays, was launched at the end of December and has been serving residents in five community units.

Currently, only six cars are available for the service. Each unit, costing Rp 416.7 million, has a digital camera, a fingerprint scanner, a computer and a generator.

The mobile service is available at all five community unit offices from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday; information is available www.kependudukancapil.go.id.

Residents who want to use this service must bring supporting letters from the heads of their community unit and neighborhood unit and a family card.

Expatriates who want to extend their ID cards must also bring their passports and permanent stay permits (Kitap) along with their foreigner registration books.

"The city administration charges no fees to anyone using this service except for people whose ID cards expired more than 14 days ago. They must pay a Rp 10,000 fine," Ahmad Fauzi, the head of the West Jakarta Population and Civil Registration Agency, said.

Ahmad said that the service took only five minutes per applicant.

"Of course, if there are many residents, there will be a waiting list and it can take longer than that," he added.

He said that when a resident came to the mobile service, the agency officers would take the person's photograph and fingerprints. The ID card would be printed and immediately signed by the subdistrict head, who is in the office during the service period.

Ahmad added that since the end of December, new ID cards made in Jakarta used a single identity number (NIK).

The mobile service was established as part of the city administration's efforts to launch the NIK and to combat fake ID cards.

"We have explained this policy to the heads of community and subdistrict units and have asked them to encourage the residents to get new ID cards," he said.

Franky Mangatas Pandjaitan, head of the Jakarta Population and Civil Registration Agency, previously said his agency planned to add more units for the ID card mobile service.

"We also plan to provide the service in malls and other public places," he said.

Franky said the mobile service would also be available for people who have lost their ID cards in disasters such as fires and floods. "The cars will come directly to the disaster scene," he said.

However, residents from the Thousand Islands regency are still unable to take advantage the service.