President Joko Widodo has emphasized the necessity of providing subsidies or Public Service Obligations (PSO) to the public transportation sector, aiming to make ticket prices more accessible, particularly highlighting the LRT Jabodebek tickets, which have been noted as costly for a certain segment of the population.
These comments from President Joko Widodo surfaced during his re-evaluation of the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) project, spanning from Jatikarya Station in Bekasi to Dukuh Atas Station in Jakarta, on Thursday (10/8/2023).
Reporters inquired about the tariff structure of the LRT, which presently exceeds Rp 20,000, and his assessment of its potential to attract widespread interest.
President Joko Widodo is resolute in asserting that subsidies are pivotal to the viability of this ambitious elevated rail initiative. He articulated, “Hence the imperative for PSO and subsidies, be it for airport trains, Transjakarta, KRL, conventional trains, LRT, MRT, or high-speed trains; all (public transportation) must be recipients of subsidies,” as he addressed the gathered media.
Jokowi opined that the introduction of subsidies could exert a pull on a larger demographic, promoting the transition from private vehicle usage to embracing mass transit alternatives. However, he remained reticent about revealing the specific quantum of subsidies earmarked for the LRT venture.
“It goes without saying that such a calculation falls within the domain of the Ministry of Transportation. Can you envision the President undertaking such calculations?” he quipped with a hint of humor.
In a realm of legal provisions, it’s important to underscore that the outermost fare bracket for the LRT’s Jabodebek service stands at approximately 24,000 Indonesian rupiah per person.
This determination is encapsulated within the Minister of RI Decree No. KM 67 of 2023, a legal document delineating the tariff structure for the Integrated Light Rail Transport, which embodies the principles of Public Service Obligations in the Jabodebek region.
The decree explicitly outlines that the LRT Jabodebek fare schema incorporates a base rate of Rp 5,000 for the initial kilometer, while successive kilometers are priced at Rp 700 per unit.
Consequently, the farthest journey on the LRT Jabodebek route, spanning from Dukuh Atas Station to Jatimulya in Bekasi, incurs an estimated cost of around Rp 23,000-24,000.
Correspondingly, the tariff for traversing from Dukuh Atas Station to Harjamukti Station in Cibubur approximates Rp 21,000-22,000 for each leg of the journey