TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Abdullah Suryajaya was shocked when he saw the sign with parking fees rise in Bekasi Train Station, Juanda Road, Bekasi. For one-day parking, the management charges Rp5,000 (US$0.41) for motorcycles, an increase of Rp1,000 (US$0.08), while for cars it is Rp10,000 (US$0.83), an increase from Rp8,000 (US$0.67).

Abdullah, a daily passenger on the Commuter Line train, directly turned around and left the parking area. “It’s better to park outside. It’s much cheaper, Rp3,000-4,000 (US$0.25-0.34),” he said last week.

As a result, the parking lot with a capacity of 2,900 motorcycles and 100 cars became a place of little interest. Motorcycle riders such as Abdullah choose to park outside the station, in a place built by citizens when PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) Commuter Jabodetabek set a low fee for passenger trains on June 30, 2013.

Wahab Frimansyah, another passenger, said PT KAI and the parking management, PT Reska Multi Usaha, had gone way overboard in determining parking fees. “It’s expensive, yet the facilities are no good. There’s no canopy, so if it rains, we will get wet for sure,” said Wahab.

The facilities in the privately-owned parking lots, Wahab added, are more comfortable. “Our motorcycles are parked inside, away from heat and rain. The helmets stay clean and dry as well,” he said.

The Deputy Chief of Bekasi Train Station, Bambang Setiawan, said he has no authority over the parking rates policy. “The decision is not ours to make,” he said.

The Head of Public Relations of PT KAI’s First Operational Region, Agus Komarudin, admitted that the increase in parking fees in a number of train stations had been approved by PT KAI. “So it’s not magisterial,” he said. He regarded the remark on the limited parking space as a criticism, which he would pass on to his superiors.

ADI WARSONO | DIMAS SIREGAR