T

hey are young suburban professionals. Many are married with one or two children. All of them work in Jakarta and share the same bête noire: a distaste for wasting time and energy commuting to Jakarta.

One frustrated commuter, Rahmat Arif Widayat, said that he reached a point six months ago when he could no longer bear the traffic between his home in Serpong, South Tangerang, and his office in Mampang, South Jakarta.

After commuting by car for more than two years, Rahmat said that he gave up and turned to the train. “Previously, I was pessimistic that I could count on electric commuter trains, especially their punctuality,” he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

However, Rahmat said that, after a while, he found that commuting by train was not that bad. “I must say it is not very comfortable. But at least it is punctual and fast. For most workers, punctuality comes first,” he said.

Rahmat said that he could currently reach his office in one-and-a-half hours, faster than his journey by car, which could take up to two hours.

“The electric train is also cheaper. I don’t spend much for the car’s gas and parking,” Rahmat said. And, he added, he could sleep all the way to Jakarta.

He is not the only commuter avoiding gridlock by traveling by train.

Muhammad Iqbal and Aida Nuraini said that they commuted by train since the husband and wife moved to Serpong a year ago. “As a matter of fact, we considered Serpong because we saw it had reliable train service,” Aida said.

Aida and her husband previously rented a house in Setiabudi, South Jakarta. Before finding a home of their own, the couple compared the train service in Serpong and other satellite cites in Greater Jakarta, including Bogor and Bekasi.

“The train plying the Serpong-Jakarta route is less crowded, and thus, more comfortable than other routes,” she said.

However, the train is not without its drawbacks. Iqbal said that the trains were less than pristine and crowded. “Train coaches should be added since we have more people traveling by train,” he said.

Some commuters drive and park their cars at the nearest station.
According to people interviewed by the Post, the daily cost of parking was Rp 8,000 (88 US cents) was cheap given the sense of comfort and safety provided.

The commuter train makes several stops after leaving Serpong, including stops in the densely-
populated areas of Rawa Buntu, Sudimara, Jurang mangu, Pondok Ranji, Kebayoran and Palmerah before ending at Tanah Abang.

Some commuters then take the city loop line connecting Tanah Abang with Jl. Jend. Sudirman and the Mampang, Manggarai, Gambir, and Jatinegara stations.

A one-way trip costs Rp 6,000, cheaper than one liter of non-subsidized fuel. The train is equipped with air conditioning, straps for standing passengers and two women-only carriages.

Local commuters complained about crowded trains during rush hour. However, the Serpong train at its most crowded was relatively emptier than trains plying the Jakarta-Bogor or Jakarta-Depok routes. During usual hours, the Serpong train can be only half full.

The Serpong route also has fewer street vendors, who are usually seen teeming on the platform at every stop on other lines.

PT Bumi Serpong Damai, the property developer of BSD city — the largest established satellite city in Serpong — said they were benefitting from reliable train service.

Today’s property hunters considered train access when looking for residential locations, according to corporate secretary Hermawan Wijaya.

“In fact, commuter train service has become one of the main considerations for people to buy the property in BSD. Residents will feel more comfortable to live near train access,” he added.

Commuter train operator PT KRL Commuter Jabodetabek (KCJ) said that providing on-time train service was the company’s main target. (lfr)