The LRT Feeder Public Transport In Palembang Hasn't Functioned Optimally

PALEMBANG - The operation of public transportation within the city as a feeder for light rail transit (LRT) in Palembang, South Sumatra is considered not functioning optimally so it must be evaluated.

"Not yet, because based on observations from the train management office, the number of passengers transported by public transport feeders to the LRT station is still minimal," said Head of the South Sumatra Light Railroad Management Center Dedik Tri Istiantara in Palembang as reported by ANTARA, Sunday, July 24.

According to Dedik, the observations were made on two feederLRT public transport crossing routes which have only been operating for a few weeks in July 2022.

It is known that the number of passengers served from the two routes includes the Hajj Dormitory – Sematang Borang and the Perumnas Talang Kelapa route, the Talang Bad Hajj Dormitory, with an estimated number of still under 80 people per day.

"Because the number of passengers is still small, we have coordinated it with the LRT feeder public transport manager, namely the Palembang City Transportation Service, to evaluate what went wrong so that it has not affected the stations," he said.

Meanwhile, South Sumatra Consumers Foundation (YLK) Trustee Rizal Aprizal asked the Palembang LRT feeder public transport to be operated according to its designation.

"To prevent irregularities in the operation of the modern feeder public transport, his party is ready to help the Transportation Agency carry out surveillance in the field," said Rizal Aprizal.

In this way, he continued, modern transportation with a capacity of nine passengers and one driver should not allow good service only at the beginning of its launch, after several months it turns into bad or not according to its designation.

The Palembang City Government received assistance as many as 29 units of LRT feeder public transport cars, all of which have been facilitated with air conditioning (AC), surveillance cameras, GPS and non-cash payment instruments (tap cash).

Palembang Mayor Harnojoyo said the 29 units of public transportation cars were the first of the 200 units targeted by the Ministry of Transportation to support integrated public transportation services with LRT for the people of Palembang.

Each of these transports crosses two routes of Jalan Talang Kelapa – Talang Bad via Hajj Dormitory (20.4 kilometers) as many as 11 units of angkot cars and as many as 18 other units the route of Hajj Dormitory – Sematang Borang via Col. Hajj Burlian (40.2 kilometers) every day.

The two operating routes were chosen because they are areas that have not been reached by other public transportation because they are far enough to reach the LRT station.

"So people on the two routes can be closer to taking the LRT and BRT fast trains, after they are integrated with each other later," he said.