T

he central government has bowed to public pressure by delaying a plan to scrap economy-class electric trains commuting from Serpong in Tangerang and Bekasi, to Jakarta.

The Transportation Ministry’s railway director general, Tundjung Inderawan, told a press conference on Wednesday that the government would push the plan to July, while preparing a mechanism to subsidize commuters with limited purchasing power so they could still buy tickets for air-conditioned commuter line service.

“We will equip the non air-conditioned commuter line units with air-conditioning to improve services and to increase safety standards,” he said at the ministry in Central Jakarta.

“Every citizen has the right to air-conditioned and safe commuter line service.”

In relation to the planned subsidies he said, “Those with low income will get a special card that also functions as an e-ticketing card. They won’t pay as much as other commuters do.”

“We will also organize a team tasked to verify data on people who deserve the subsidy and so on,” Tundjung said, adding the government would conduct a thorough study to decide the subsidy amount one person should receive.

State railway operator PT KAI previously announced that the service would be scrapped on April 1 and replaced with the existing air-conditioned commuter line service.

Jakarta commuter line operator PT KAI Commuter Jabodetabek (KCJ), a subsidiary of KAI, said the measure was taken to minimize operational glitches caused by the broken train.

The plan was met by resistance from lawmakers and commuters.

KCJ president director Tri Handoyo pointed out that in the first stage, the operator would replace two non air-conditioned trains traveling from Serpong and Bekasi with four air-conditioned trains.

KCJ currently operates 48 trains, including nine economy-class trains serving Greater Jakarta. The company serves an average 46 million economy-class commuters every year or around 120,000 commuters per day.

The operator will replace economy-class trains in Bogor and Depok, both in West Java, after the government procures secondhand trains from Japan later this year.

The central government has planned to add 18 secondhand trains to improve commuter line services this year.

Air-conditioned commuter line service fares are around Rp 9,000 (93 US cents) per trip while a single trip ticket on an economy-class train service is priced between Rp 1,000 and Rp 2,000.

Tri said the operator would add an e-ticketing system at each railway station to support the plan.

Transportation expert from the Institute of Transportation Studies (Instran), Darmaningtyas, lauded the plan, saying that it would improve safety standards for commuters.

“It’s good to have a plan to replace all economy-class commuter trains with air-conditioned trains while providing subsidies for certain commuters. Hence, commuter trips will be safer as there will be no more commuters sitting at the train doors or on the roofs,” he said.