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ommuters say they have no problem with the higher fares set by national railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), which will take effect on Oct. 1, but in return they want improved services.

Sri Nurcahya, 20, said she did not mind the price hike, but added that she expected PT KAI Commuter Jabodetabek (KCJ), a subsidiary of KAI, to cut out the delays.

“I do not mind to pay the extra Rp 1,000 as long as the service also improves,” she said at Gambir train station in Central Jakarta. “For instance, departure delays should not happen anymore,” demanded Sri, who commutes from Monday to Friday to Gambir from Tebet train station in South Jakarta.

With the new price, KCJ passengers will have to pay Rp 3,000 (US$2.28) for a trip of up to 25 kilometers, a hefty increase from the Rp 2,000 charged previously. Meanwhile, the price for every 10 km traveled beyond the first 25 km remains unchanged at Rp 1,000.

Sri’s view is shares by another passenger, Zaman, who said that delays disrupted his arrival time at his office in Central Jakarta.

“Even though the delays now are not as severe as they used to be, I still want better management,” he said.

Most train passengers are unperturbed by the fare increase, as they still deem KCJ’s railway service in Greater Jakarta the cheapest mode of public transportation.

Muhammad Pradana, 30, said he would still take trains as his primary transportation mode.

“The increase is not that big. Taking the train is much better than driving a private vehicle and being stuck in traffic,” he said on Friday at Gambir train station, adding that he used to take the train to Jakarta Kota station from Tangerang.

The decision is stipulated in Transportation Ministry Regulation No. 35/2016 on economy class train fares.

KCJ said the move was the consequence of changes in the way the government disburses transportation subsidies.

“The adjustment is done in accordance with a benchmark that will see the government allocate public service obligation (PSO) funds proportionally, not only for commuter lines, but also for intercity trains,” KCJ director Muhammad Fadhil said in August.

Fadhil added that the price increase was also in line with people’s purchasing power.

Zulfikri, the Transportation Ministry’s traffic director under the directorate general of railways, said train services were improving, so the PSO allocation had to match the government’s capacity.

“Under the new fare scheme, train operators charge Rp 6,250 and the government contributes Rp 3,250 through PSO funds. So the passengers pay Rp 3,000,” he said as quoted by kompas.com.

With the new price, KAI is expected to improve its services and increase rolling stock, which many passengers deem insufficient to meet rising demand.

As reported earlier, KCJ operates only 764 train cars a day to carry an average 885,642 daily passengers to and from Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi.

In the course of only four years, from 2011 to 2015, KCJ saw a 112 percent increase in passenger numbers to 257.5 million.

The number is expected to increase further as the city administration has implemented several regulations aimed at getting more citizens to use public transportation.

KCJ has announced plans to improve its services, including by setting up more schedules and importing dozens of train cars, which are set to enter operations this October, according to the company’s assistant communication manager, Adli Hakim Nasution. (adt)