Member Of The House Of Representatives From The PKB Faction Proposes Special Cigarette Carriages, Cak Imin: Personal Affairs

JAKARTA - Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Muhaimin Iskandar (Cak Imin) is economical in responding to the proposal made by a member of the DPR from the PKB faction, Nasim Khan for PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) to provide special carriages for smoking on trains.

According to Cak Imin, the proposal in the DPR Commission VI working meeting did not represent the faction, but the view of Nasim personally.

"I don't know about that. That's a personal matter, I think," said Cak Imin at DKI Jakarta City Hall, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, August 26.

Previously, Member of Commission VI DPR Nasim Khan suggested that PT KAI provide a special carriage that is designated as a cafe as well as a smoking area or a smoking area on a long-distance train series.

The proposal was conveyed by Nasim Khan in a hearing (RDP) of Commission VI of the DPR, with the President Director of PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) or KAI Bobby Rasyidin at the DPR building, Jakarta, Wednesday, August 20.

"At least, there is input too, there is one carriage left for the cafe, for coffee, at least there for the smoke area," he said at the meeting.

According to Nasim, the special carriage for the previous smoking area was as good as there. However, he continued, now the special carriage has been removed.

"Because many of these trains do not smoke Pak Bobby's area, at least in this train there is one carriage," he said.

Nasim believes the existence of a special carriage as a smoking area in a series of trains will be very useful. In fact, the benefits for KAI.

Nasim assessed that this could also be a solution for bored passengers, considering that the distance traveled could take up to hours.

He also compared the buses equipped with these facilities.

I'm sure, I'm sure it will be useful and profitable for trains. There must be a lot of it (the interest), just one (carriage) for cafes, shopping areas, because 8 hours of long trips, sir, on the bus for almost 8-10 hours there is a smoking area on the bus. During the train period during that one carriage, I'm sure you can do that," he said.

This proposal received a negative response from a number of parties. One of them is Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. Gibran assessed that council members should know the priorities regarding the proposal of one of the DPR legislators to need a special smoker carriage for long-distance train trips.

"If there is a fiscal room, if my opinion is personal, it is better to prioritize for example pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, toddlers, the elderly, people with disabilities," said Vice President Gibran after reviewing the revitalization of Solo Balapan Station in Solo, Central Java, Sunday, August 24.

Then, the Director General of Railways (DJKA) of the Ministry of Transportation, Allan Tandiono, reiterated that the train is an area without cigarettes (KTR).

"Based on Law Number 36/2012 concerning Health, and Government Regulation Number 109/2012 concerning the security of materials containing addictive substances in the form of tobacco products for health in public transportation, including trains, it has been designated as an area without cigarettes or KTR," he said in a discussion at the Ministry of Transportation Office.