Crowded KRL Commuter Line Feared to be a Ticking Time Bomb: House Legislator

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - House of Representatives (DPR) Commission V legislator Suryadi Jaya Purnama on Thursday stated that the capital city’s commuter rail system, known as the KRL Commuter line, has grown increasingly congested and will turn into a ticking time bomb if the technical problems that often happen are not solved properly.

“The KRL commuter line this morning on Thursday experienced a technical difficulty at the Manggarai Station, which was worsened by the congested commuters who have waited for 20 minutes, to only switch from platform 7 to platform 4,” said Suryadi in his official statement on April 4. 

The legislator argues that such an incident is the tip of the iceberg for commuters who rely on this mass transportation system on a daily basis. He also mentioned the canceled imports of used trains from Japan which have added to the collective restlessness of KRL commuter line users. 

“The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) warns that this problem can be a bomb that is set to explode in the near future if not mitigated properly by PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI),” said Suryadi. 

KRL service operator KCI needs at least 96 train sets to accommodate up to 1.2 million passengers that it serves on a daily basis while serving 1,081 trips daily. 

AMELIA RAHIMA SARI

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