“We’re just trying it out for the first time today, getting a tour of the city,” Kiki, a stay-at-home mother from Bekasi, told The Jakarta Post on Aug. 29. She was accompanied by her 23-year-old daughter Qila.

As the Greater Jakarta LRT network was finally launched on Aug. 28 to connect Jakarta to its two satellite cities, Bekasi and Depok in West Java, many commuters flocked to try it out during its first days.

But after their first try, many criticized its “underwhelming” performance, from power outages to doors that seem to be too small.

Like Kiki and Qila, other families could be spotted at the new LRT stations with their shopping bags and their children walking hand-in-hand, enjoying the scene before heading home.

Long-awaited by the public, the LRT project had been stuck in development hell for years. Since its postponement in 2021, it was mired in controversies regarding its allegedly flawed design and accidents during its test drives.

But as the LRT finally went live last week, people rushed to try out the new public transportation system hailed as a national project. A Red and White flag was affixed to the front car of the trains and people excitedly took pictures and videos.

“It does feel nice, the seats are better than the Commuter Line trains,” 60-year-old Ridwan, a retiree taking a trip with his wife from West Bekasi, told the Post.

Helpful option

For 32-year-old Alfian, who has been commuting daily from Depok to Central Jakarta for four years by motorcycle, the new LRT has given him a better option to get to work.

“It’s very helpful because my office is not far from the station,” the insurance company employee said.

The hour-long LRT ride to Dukuh Atas Station is shorter than the time he usually spends on the road, given the traffic he faces getting to the capital.

Civil servant Lusiana Sari, 40, also shared the same sentiment, but she was initially concerned about the issues surrounding safety, including the fact that the trains are forced to slow down as they negotiate bends along the track.

Talk about this being a design flaw has been dismissed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

“This is still new, and it’s been delayed for a long time due to a myriad of reasons, so I thought, ‘Should I wait for several weeks and see how it goes?’” Lusiana said as she prepared to return home to Cikunir, Bekasi.

But she was glad to have experienced it, saying it was better than the Transjakarta bus she normally uses to commute from Bekasi, which takes longer due to the traffic.

“[Depok]’s a bit of a remote area, so anything that helps me get to the city faster is much appreciated,” Rifki, an employee at Hitachi Energy in Sudirman and another Transjakarta commuter from Depok, told the Post.

His coworker Lisbeth also thought the Commuter Line she usually takes from Tebet is now too crowded, so an alternative like the LRT is greatly needed.

Unreliable, unfinished

However, the LRT’s opening has not been received with wide praise. Complaints have mounted from commuters and general riders alike, ranging from its faulty brakes to delays, which caused many to be late for work.

“I don’t think the LRT is ready to be fully operational yet, seeing that it’s still experiencing power outages and malfunctioning doors,” 28-year-old commuter Dera Maulida said.

Dera was one of the many people hoping to catch an LRT train to work from Jatibening Station in Bekasi on Aug. 30, only for the train to be delayed for over an hour with no information from staff.

When the train finally arrived, it was packed to the doors and still intermittently halted along the line. It then stopped completely at Halim Station due to a power outage.

“I was hoping to get to work earlier because of this new public transit, not later,” Dera lamented.

With these glitches, others have begun to reconsider whether the LRT is an optimal choice for commuting in the long run. Especially given that the current discounted fare of Rp 5,000 (33 US cents) will increase to the regular fare of Rp 20,000 this month.

Calculating his monthly spending, Alfian said that the regular fare slated for the LRT would be almost the same as the cost of him riding his motorcycle every day to work.

As for Bambang, another one of Rifki’s colleague, the LRT fare will be similar to the Royaltrans, a premium Transjakarta bus he usually takes from Cibubur to Semanggi, South Jakarta.

“It all depends on the time and efficiency. We’ve seen how the LRT is not running smoothly yet. So when the fare increases, I’ll have to see [what I choose],” Bambang said.

Regardless, commuters still want to see the LRT improve in the coming months. If possible, more should be done to further its integration.

“I like the way it is now, but I’m still going to use my motorcycle since it’ll still be faster to reach my office in Sunter, [North Jakarta],” Qila said.

But if there were more routes that went closer to her office, Qila would be happy to use the LRT.

“I hope the government, which has been begging us to use public transportation more, listen to the criticism and [solve the LRT’s problems],” Dera said.

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