TheJakartaPost
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Public transportation tale of two cities
An exhibition showcases everyday scenes from Jakarta’s new MRT and Berlin’s metro system, as seen through eyes of two young Indonesian photographers, Reiza Nurrafi and Muhamad Putera Wicaksana.
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Tired: A glimpse into one of the trains where one of the passengers has fallen asleep as shown in this photo taken by Reiza Nurrafi. (Courtesy of Katrin Figge/-)
M
illions of Jakartans commute from their homes in the suburbs to the city center and back again on a daily basis, many of them preferring to use their own cars rather than public transportation – adding to the often unbearable road congestion.
But with the establishment of the capital’s first MRT in late March this year, there is now a viable alternative to one’s own four wheels: the first line of the MRT runs from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in the center of the city every five minutes from 5 a.m. until midnight, with 13 stations along the way. There are plans to gradually expand the MRT network over the coming years.
In Germany’s capital Berlin, on the other hand, the first metro line was opened in 1902. Today, there are 10 different lines in total, used by more than 560 million people every year. In addition, the local transportation network is completed by regional and city trains, as well as trams and buses.
Berlin’s transportation policy focuses on strengthening sustainability, especially in regards to bicycle and pedestrian traffic, as well as local public transportation – and the effort has been rewarded: more and more people refrain from using a car, doing their part to improve air quality, support climate protection and reduce noise pollution.
A new exhibition, organized by Rumah Budaya Indonesia Berlin in collaboration with the Berlin Senate Chancellery, shows the works of two young Indonesian photographers who have captured daily scenes in and around Jakarta’s MRT and Berlin’s U-Bahn metro system, offering a fresh perspective of the two cities and a colorful glimpse into the life of commuters.
“Railways and trains are an important marker of the civilization of a particular country or society”, said Arif Havas Oegrosono, the Indonesian ambassador to Germany, at the opening of the exhibition, which is one of the activities revolving around the 25-year anniversary of Berlin and Jakarta as sister cities.
