TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Transportation Ministry recorded growing interest from the public in the mass rapid transit or MRT Jakarta. Since the opening in March, the number of passengers had passed the target by 153 percent per day.

“On certain days, the number of the user amounted to over 100,000, higher than the target of 65,000,” said the ministry’s director-general of railway Zulfikri during a press conference at his office, Thursday, December 5.

The first phase of the train connects Lebak Bulus Station in South Jakarta and HI Roundabout in Central Jakarta with a travel time of about 30 minutes. On one trip, the train can accommodate 1,200 to 1,800 passengers.

PT MRT initially planned to further increase the target of passenger numbers from years to years. Based on the design, in 2020, the train was expected to daily board 91,000 passengers, 111,700 people in 2021, and 130,000 people in 2023.

Zulfikri said that the number of passengers will likely double to 200,000 people per day when the second phase of the train starts operational. The second phase will extend the existing route from Lebak Bulus-HI Roundabout to Lebak Bulus-Kota in West Jakarta. “We target to operate MRT Jakarta phase II in 2024,” Zulfikri said.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA