Mass public transportation: Awaiting LRT's run on Jabodebek track
This article has been translated by PwC Indonesia as part of our Indonesia Infrastructure News Service. PwC Indonesia has not checked the accuracy of, and accepts no responsibility for the content.
Bisnis Indonesia - Transportasi umum massal: Menunggu laju LRT di lintas Jabodebek
2 August 2023
By: Lorenzo A. Mahardhika & Hendra Wibawa
The people’s wish to board the newest generation of Jabodebek Light Rail Transit (LRT) must be held off. Jabodebek LRT’s operator still needs time to ensure the reliability of the rail-based mass transportation.
After the delay, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) as the operator of Jabodebek LRT finally announced that the limited trial run of Jabodebek LRT would commence on 5 August 2023.
Initially, the schedule was planned to commence on 29 July 2023.
Jabodebek LRT’s management said that the schedule was delayed in accordance with the direction from Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi to ensure the security and the safety of the mass transportation.
Jabodebek LRT Division Head Mochamad Purnomosidi said that Jabodebek LRT was currently testing all of its devices using the automatic train supervision (ATS) system after it was updated.
“We are currently fine tuning the new ATS system. After this process is completed, we will continue the trial run for the people,” he explained on Monday (31/7).
Purnomosidi guarantees that all passengers who have registered for the limited trial run can still participate on 5 August 2023.
Moreover, he also promises that he will open a new registration period for people who want to enjoy Jabodebek LRT’s service. However, Purnomosidi has yet to reveal in detail when the registration for the next trial run will be opened.
“Inshallah (God willing), we will open another LRT trial run registration for the people,” he added.
PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) ensures that the ATS update process in Jabodebek LRT’s system has been completed.
Purnomosidi said that the new devices were tested so that they could be in line with the existing protocols.
To ensure security and safety, Jabodebek LRT’s operator is conducting the test by operating all trainsets.
Several aspects that the operator is focusing on are braking comfort, cornering speed, and other aspects.
“We are testing all trainsets by running a full loop according to the protocol, or is there something missing? The ATS system is also simultaneously being finely tuned,” Purnomosidi explained.
For people who have registered for the trial run, Purnomosidi stated that they would be invited to the trial with a tariff of Rp1 per passenger for the trial run.
The government has determined the LRT’s tariff with Transportation Minister Decree Number 67/2023 on Passenger Transportation Tariff using Integrated Light Rail Transit in Jabodebek Area to Implement Public Service Obligation.
In the decree, Jabodebek LRT’s tariff is set at Rp5,000 for the first kilometre. For the next kilometre, the people will have to pay Rp700 per kilometre.
Based on a rough calculation using the longest distance on each route, KAI Jabodebek LRT Division Public Relations Manager Kuswardoyo stated that the Dukuh Atas-Jatimulya route spanning 27.3 km would cost around Rp23,000-Rp24,000 and the Dukuh Atas-Harjamukti Cibubur route spanning 24.3 km would cost Rp21,310 per passenger.
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi mentioned that the trial run of Jabodebek LRT would be carried out in three stages approaching the commercial operation in August 2023.
First, all LRT trainsets will be operated to ensure the security and the safety of all trainsets that will operate.
Then, the trainsets will be operated again with the maximum passenger capacity. The second stage of the trial run will ensure passenger service and comfort.
Next, another trial run will be carried out with tight headways and roundtrip routes.
Budi Karya said that the trial run would be carried out up to 5 days before the operation on 18 August 2023.
After it is successful, Budi Karya will report the result to President Joko Widodo. “If the trial run is successful, the commercial operation of Jabodebek LRT can commence on Indonesia’s 78th Independence Day Anniversary,” Budi Karya said.
During the recent Jabodebek LRT trial run from Dukuh Atas Station in Jakarta to Harjamukti Station in Depok, he mentioned that the trainset was smoother and more comfortable.
“I am happy as it has improved compared to the last trial run. I am asking the operator to improve any weakness,” he said.
Erick Thohir’s response
Meanwhile, State-owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister Erick Thohir denies that Jabodebek LRT’s trial run was delayed due to issues in the mode of transportation’s system.
Erick said that the trial run was delayed to test the existing related systems. He said that the follow-up trial run was proposed by the Transportation Minister.
“I think that it is ready, but, yesterday, Mr. Budi Karya said that he wanted to check it one more time to ensure the safety of passengers,” Erick said on Tuesday (1/8).
According to him, Jabodebek LRT’s system is guaranteed to have an excellent quality as it uses a technology produced in German from Siemens AG.
Besides that, the government is also cooperating with a consultant from the UK to ensure that Jabodebek LRT can serve the people optimally.
Erick added that a comprehensive trial run of Jabodebek LRT must be carried out. Jabodebek LRT uses a system that has a level 3 grade of automation (GoA), which makes it possible for it to operate driverless.
He said that the new system could create a negative perception and instil fear in the people to try the mode of transportation.
“The perception can form if there is no safety trial run. We are also not hiding anything. It is for the good of the people,” Erick said.
SOE Deputy Minister Kartika Wirjoatmodjo also made a comment about Jabodebek LRT.
At InJourney Talks, Kartika revealed that there were some notes regarding Jabodebek LRT.
According to him, there are six components in the Jabodebek LRT project. The six components include infrastructures by PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk, railway facilities by PT INKA (Persero), software development by Siemens AG, and signalling system by PT Len Industri (Persero). However, Kartika said that there was no system integrator in the project, which is usually a given in large projects worth dozens of trillions of rupiah such as Jabodebek LRT.
Moreover, the design of Gatot Subroto-Kuningan long-span bridge is also amiss, especially regarding its tilt. Hence, the LRT cannot operate at full speed due to tightness of the turn.
The people hope that Jabodebek LRT will operate safely without any hindrance. We will wait and see.
