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MRT Jakarta may fine 'free' riders
Following the official launch of MRT Jakarta last month, enthusiasm remains high among residents to try out the service, which spans 15.7 kilometers from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.
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New experience: MRT passengers use their cards to pass ticket barriers at Lebak Bulus Station in South Jakarta on April 1, the first day of the commercial operation. (The Jakarta Post/Wendra Ajistyatama )
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T MRT Jakarta, the operator of the country’s first subway system, is formulating a scheme with the Jakarta administration to fine passengers who avoid paying the round-trip fare.
Following the official launch of MRT Jakarta last month, enthusiasm remains high among residents to try out the service, which spans 15.7 kilometers from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.
However, the unexpected influx of passengers led to an error in the tap-enabled ticketing system, which the company blamed on commuters who did not pay for the full fare.
MRT Jakarta corporate secretary Muhammad Kamaluddin said many passengers trying out the MRT rode the route from Lebak Bulus to Hotel Indonesia and back again multiple times without paying the additional fare and following the proper tapping procedure.
This led to a system failure at the tapping gate, blocking passengers from leaving the station.
As reported, the MRT fare is determined by distance and based on the station at which passengers get on and get off. Under the scheme, passengers pay a minimum of Rp 3,000 (2 US cents), which then increases Rp 1,000 per station. This means that the maximum fare would be Rp 14,000 for passengers who pass all 13 stations.
MRT Jakarta is providing a 50 percent discount for the entire month of April.
In order to prevent disturbances in the payment system, Kamaluddin said the company was in talks with the city administration to impose fines on passengers who did not tap in or out accordingly.
“We are still in discussion on the fine of Rp 14,000,” he said on Thursday as reported by wartakota.tribunnews.com.
The company also plans to impose fines on passengers who do not disembark at their destination using a single-trip card.
MRT Jakarta president director William Sahbandar welcomed the enthusiasm of passengers.
“We open our doors for all people in Indonesia to try out the MRT. Instead of going abroad to try an MRT, just go to Jakarta,” he said on Friday as reported by kompas.com.
Still, he urged passengers to follow ticketing regulations to fully enjoy the service. William said one passenger who failed to follow ticketing procedures could ruin the experience for other commuters, because every time a tapping gate is unable to read a card, it needs to be reset.
“The system can break down the more it encounters errors,” he said.
