T

he Greater Jakarta branch of state railway operator PT Kereta Commuter Jabodetabek (KCJ) said that the new Commuter Line system launched two weeks ago was a success.

KCJ operational director Hendri Anom cited a passenger increase on the first day of the Commuter Line.

“Compared to previous numbers, we are seeing an increase after the new system’s implementation,” Hendri told a press conference on Thursday.

Under the Commuter Line system, KCJ stopped service on the Greater Jakarta express air-conditioned trains, which only stopped at a few major stations, making stops at all stations instead.

After the new system was implemented, there were only two commuter trains serving the urban areas: the commuter line and the subsidized economy train.

Hendri said that there had been a 14 percent increase in Commuter Line passengers, more than 300,000, along with a 7 percent decrease in economy train passengers.

“We do realize that the service is far from ideal, but we will keep making improvements,” he said.

On Thursday, however, KRL Mania, an online commuter train organization, said the new system had yet to live up to its promises.

Rosmana Eko, a KRL Mania representative, said that Commuter Line trains were still off schedule, leaving passengers waiting at the station platforms across the city during rush hours.

“Worst of all, passengers are still riding on trains meant to be air-conditioned but the air-conditioning does not work,” Rosmana said.

He urged KCJ to improve its service. “KCJ does not need to wait for approval from PT KAI each time. There are small changes that will be great improvements that KCJ can do,” Rosmana said.

Some possible changes were providing proper platform spaces and decent toilets, he said.

Commuter trains in Greater Jakarta currently serve 420,000 people each day. The central government aims for Jakarta commuter trains to serve 1.2 million passengers daily by 2014.

PT KAI, however, said that the target was too high and changed it to 1.2 million passengers by 2019.

That number is a fraction of the total 20.7 million commuters going to and from Jakarta everyday.

Data from the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) indicated that private vehicles, which make up 98 percent of all motor vehicles in the capital, carried only 45 percent of all commuters, while public transportation vehicles, which make up the other 2 percent of the vehicles on the road, carried 65 percent of all commuters.

In a move to attract more private vehicle users to use public transportation, the Jakarta Transportation Agency announced that the city planned to integrate train stations with Transjakarta bus shelters.

“We are planning to connect nine train stations with eight Transjakarta routes. We are making the preparations for it,” agency chief Udar Pristono said.

The nine train stations targeted are Sudirman, Gambir, Juanda and Pasar Senen Stations in Central Jakarta; Jakarta Kota and Tanjung Priok Stations in North Jakarta; Mampang Station in South Jakarta and Matraman Station in East Jakarta.

“We will construct special access from these stations to the nearest Transjakarta bus shelters,” Pristono said.

Transjakarta currently operates 524 buses serving 10 routes, plying a total of 171.5 kilometers. Two more routes will be added in the next two years, with three other routes being planned.