All aboard: Residents ride on the LRT Jakarta during a public trial in Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta on Tuesday. (JP/Eisya Asshafina)

Thousands of passengers have registered to be among the first to try the new LRT Jakarta, with the public trial run kicking off on Tuesday.

Long queues were seen at LRT stations, as Jakartans and holidaymakers flocked to ride on the city’s newest mode of transportation.

During the trial run, passengers can enjoy free rides from South Boulevard Station in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, to Velodrome Station in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, from 5.30 a.m. to 11 p.m. everyday, with a headway of 10 minutes.

“The train is comfortable. The only downside is that [the route] is too short,” said Yola, a passenger from Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta. “When the LRT reaches Depok and Bogor [south of Jakarta in West Java], I will ride it more frequently.”

Another passenger, Nurul, a student at the University of Indonesia in Depok said she would ride the LRT if it stopped near her campus.

“Because the LRT does not run in the direction of my campus, I won’t ride it very often,” said the East Jakarta resident. “But when the LRT reaches Depok, I will use it.”

Yola was one of the many passengers who registered for a seat at lrtjakarta.co.id. Meanwhile, go-show riders like Nurul are permitted to ride as long as there are seats available.

“Tickets for the week [June 11 to 16] are fully booked,” PT LRT Jakarta corporate communications manager Melisa Suciati said on Tuesday.

The first trial of the LRT was held for athletes during the Asian Games from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2 in 2018, for which the Jakarta Velodrome was renovated. The public’s enthusiasm mirrors the enthusiasm shown for the recently opened MRT.

Registered passengers can ride the LRT at any time from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m, and may tap in and out at any station, or take the LRT back and forth during the trial.

For the time being, passengers need to use the LRT card to enter the gates. Melisa said five major banks were working with the LRT management to test the use of their respective e-money cards to pay for LRT trips.

LRT passengers will need to pay a flat fare of Rp 5,000 (35 US cents) when it begins full operation. However, Melisa said the management was not yet sure when commercial operations would start, as it depended on the Jakarta administration.

This trial run is the third test, following the first trial during the Asian Games and the second in March. Melisa said the management had not yet decided when the trial run would end.

For this trial run, six trains are being operated, each with two cars with a capacity of 52 seated passengers, and room for 40 more standing passengers, as well as a corner for strollers and wheelchairs. Up to six additional cars could be provided if needed, according to LRT Jakarta president director Allan Tandiono.

Supporting facilities, including toilets, prayer rooms, escalators and some elevators, are all in full operation.

The trail will also test the automatic tap gate system.

The line runs 5.8 kilometers, stopping at five stations, namely Velodrome, Equestrian, Pulomas, South Boulevard and North Boulevard.

The complete LRT network, expected to span 116 km and reach the city’s outskirts, would still require another 11 years to complete, Allan said.

Until then, “people can benefit from the LRT because it will be integrated with other modes of transportation such as Transjakarta buses”, Allan added.

From Pulomas Station, for instance, passengers can walk to the nearest Transjakarta bus stop to take the corridor 2 bus serving the Pulo Gadung-Harmoni route.

Whereas from Velodrome Station, passengers can take the corridor 4 bus serving the Pulo Gadung-Dukuh Atas route.

A pedestrian bridge will be built to connect Velodrome Station with the nearby Transjakarta bus stop, allowing passengers to continue their journey without tapping out of the station. (eyc)