Jakarta Smashes Record With More Than a Million Commuters Using Public Transit
Bekasi. More than one million Jakarta residents commuted in and out of the capital on public transportation systems on May 5, marking a significant milestone for city officials as they ramp up efforts to mitigate bumper-to-bumper traffic jams in the city.
KAI Commuter Jabodetabek, a subsidiary of state-owned railway operator Kereta Api Indoneisa, said on Wednesday (10/05) a record 1.01 million people traveled via public transportation on Friday last week. In 2016, an average of 850,000-870,000 Jakarta residents traveled on public buses and trains each day.
"The milestone of one million commuters reflects residents' confidence in our services," KAI president director Muhammad Nurul Fadhila said in a statement.
"We always strive to improve the quality of our services, and we thank residents and stakeholders alike for their support and use of public transportation."
The Jakarta administration and KAI have been revamping train operations in the capital in recent years by increasing the number of train cars in use, renovating stations and reducing railroad crossings. Electronic ticketing systems have also been introduced to reduce queuing time.
Since 2016, KAI has added four extra cars to each commuter train operating in the greater Jakarta area. Previously, commuter trains only comprised eight cars.
A new railway line connecting the capital to its busiest hub, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, is expected to begin operations in coming months.
Greater Jakarta, which includes the surrounding cities of Bogor, Depok, Bekasi, Tangerang and South Tangerang, is home to some 31 million people.
The World Bank said in a 2016 report that Jakarta is in desperate need of a viable mass public transportation system to reduce traffic gridlocks over the next decade, as the area's population is expected to grow even more.
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