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Commuting cope: Passengers have mixed response to newly launched LRT
After their first try, many criticized its “underwhelming” performance, from power outages to doors that seem to be too small.
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An aerial photo shows a Greater Jakarta LRT train passing over Jl. Gatot Subroto in Jakarta on Aug. 28, 2023. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
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s the sun went down on an afternoon last week, more and more people crowded the recently opened light rapid transit (LRT) station at Dukuh Atas, South Jakarta.
“We’re just trying it out for the first time today, getting a tour of the city,” Kiki, a stay-at-home mother from Bekasi, told The Jakarta Post on Aug. 29. She was accompanied by her 23-year-old daughter Qila.
As the Greater Jakarta LRT network was finally launched on Aug. 28 to connect Jakarta to its two satellite cities, Bekasi and Depok in West Java, many commuters flocked to try it out during its first days.
But after their first try, many criticized its “underwhelming” performance, from power outages to doors that seem to be too small.
Like Kiki and Qila, other families could be spotted at the new LRT stations with their shopping bags and their children walking hand-in-hand, enjoying the scene before heading home.
Long-awaited by the public, the LRT project had been stuck in development hell for years. Since its postponement in 2021, it was mired in controversies regarding its allegedly flawed design and accidents during its test drives.
But as the LRT finally went live last week, people rushed to try out the new public transportation system hailed as a national project. A Red and White flag was affixed to the front car of the trains and people excitedly took pictures and videos.
