TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Legislative Council's (DPRD) Commission B that overseeing economic affairs mulled over a free tariff of MRT Jakarta and LRT throughout 2019.

The plan was conveyed during a meeting between the council with city-owned enterprise PT Propertindo, PT MRT Jakarta, Jakarta Transportation Agency, and the city’s Economic Bureau joined in the tariff formulation team.

“Commission B legislators are considering to ease the public’s burden. But we really want to know the calculation or the detailed tariff to set the amount of the subsidy,” said the head of Commission B, Abdurrahman Suhaimi, at the meeting today, March 19.

Read: Free Ticket of MRT Jakarta Trial Available on Bukalapak

Suhaimi opined that Jakarta Regional Budget has an adequate budget to provide a subsidy, so LRT and MRT Jakarta could free their transport tariff. Additionally, he demanded PT MRT Jakarta and PT LRT Jakarta dismiss several tariff components so the government’s subsidy could be suppressed as lower as possible.

Both companies had earlier calculated the tariff based on Transportation Ministerial Decree No. 17/2018 concerning the tariff calculation guideline and determination of transport rates by train. Based on the estimation, Jakarta administration suggested a tariff of Rp10,000 for MRT Jakarta and Rp6,000 for LRT Jakarta.

A member of Commission B Subandi seconded Suhaimi’s statement. “I support for a free tariff [of MRT and LRT]. Moreover, Jakarta has trillions of unused funds (SILPA) that predicted to increase this year. So I fully support the idea,” Subandi said.

Responding to the council’s recommendation, the acting head of Jakarta Economic Bureau M Abbas said that his side would submit the matter to Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan. According to Abbas, the tariff of MRT Jakarta and LRT still required re-calculation on its components.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH