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MRT 'priority pin' sees general welcome, but critics point to passenger education
While the new pin to identify priority passengers has been generally welcomed, some have pointed out that education was needed to improve passenger behavior.
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Passengers board an MRT Jakarta train heading to Lebak Bulus station in South Jakarta on July 11, 2019 at Dukuh Atas station, Central Jakarta. (JP/Valerie Halim)
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assengers of Indonesia’s first MRT service have welcomed the issuance of a new pin that identifies priority passengers on board, like senior citizens, pregnant women and people with disabilities.
City-owned operator PT MRT Jakarta is providing the pins for free to priority passengers to help them access the service's facilities, such as elevators.
MRT Jakarta corporate secretary Muhammad Kamaludin said that the pin also permitted priority passengers to pass through the wider turnstiles and to sit in the prioritized seats on the trains.
Hafiz, 32, who traveled with his 64-year-old father Mad Soleh from Tangerang to Lebak Bulus on Thursday, welcomed the policy, saying that his father would benefit from the new pin, even though he rarely took public transport.
“If my father used the MRT more often, I’m sure he would love to wear the pin,” Hafiz told The Jakarta Post while pushing his wheelchaired father to board a train.
“Whenever the train is crowded, elderly people like my father struggle to find a seat, let alone priority seats. With the pin, I hope they can access the seats as well as other facilities more easily,” he said.
However, the pin’s issuance is not without its critics, as some passengers believe that it does not solve the fundamental issues of the onboard environment.
