With its relatively low costs, Commuter Line has been favored by many; it helps transport nearly 800,000 passengers within Jakarta and across neighboring cities of Bekasi, Bogor, Depok and Tangerang in a day.
he government’s recent proposal to charge different fares for Greater Jakarta Commuter Line passengers based on their incomes has sparked widespread criticism, as the potential fare increase for certain people would only discourage them from using public transportation, exacerbating the city’s already severe congestion.
Currently, the Commuter Line fare is evenly subsidized by what is called a public service obligation (PSO) funding from the state budget. All passengers now pay Rp 3,000 (19 US cents) for the first 25 kilometers of their trip and Rp 1,000 for every additional 10 km, with the fare capped at Rp 13,000 per trip.
With its relatively low cost, the mode of transportation is favored by many; it helps transport nearly 800,000 passengers within Jakarta and across neighboring cities of Bekasi, Bogor, Depok and Tangerang in a day.
The costs, however, could potentially change in the near future as the government plans to impose a new fare scheme where passengers would pay differently according to their income.
The 2025 draft state budget notes a 0.9 percent increase of PSO funding for state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI) to reach Rp 7.96 trillion, part of which is allocated to “improve” the subsidized fare scheme in order for it to be “more targeted”.
Under the new scheme, certain classes of passengers would not receive the subsidies and consequently become subject to fare increases. Some commuters have expressed their objection to the plan, saying the potential price hike would only put more burden on their finances.
Sri Hastuti, a 40-year-old teacher at SMK Pandawa Budi Luhur vocational high school in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, is among the many dependent on the Commuter Line to get to work.
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