KAI Allows South Sumatra LRT Passengers To Iftar In Carriages During Ramadan

A series of LRT trains passed beside Ampera Bridge in Palembang City, South Sumatra. (DOC. ANTARA)

PALEMBANG - Iftar by eating and drinking during Ramadan 1445 Hijriah is allowed by PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) Divre III Palembang for passengers of Light Rail Transit (LRT) South Sumatra.

Public Relations Manager of PT KAI Palembang Aida Suryanti in a written statement received in Palembang, Monday, said the South Sumatra LRT imposed special rules for LRT passengers during Ramadan this year, allowing passengers to break their fast on trains, but limited to only light food/snacks and drinks in bottles.

"This is an tolerance to respect passengers who are fasting to break their fast immediately," he said, quoted from ANTARA, Monday, March 11.

He explained that the rule within the LRT so far is to prohibit passengers from eating and drinking inside the LRT because it is for the convenience of the passengers themselves, but during the fasting month of Ramadan.

"We allow passengers to break their fast if they are still on their way considering the last LRT trip is 19.01 from DJKA station and 19.55 from Airport station," he explained.

He said the officers inside the LRT would remind passengers when the time of breaking the fast had arrived, but his party also reminded passengers to pay attention and maintain cleanliness by not leaving garbage inside the LRT and staying orderly during breaking the time so as not to reduce comfort for the passengers themselves.

"For operating hours during Ramadan fasting month, it remains as usual, with 94 trips starting at 05.06 20.43 and a distance between stations of 18 minutes," he said.

In addition, he explained that passenger data using the South Sumatra LRT during the first quarter of 2024 continued to show an increase, from January 1 to March 10, there were 740,041 passengers with an average of 10,572 passengers per day, with the current highest passenger transport volume on January 1, 2024, namely 36,659 passengers.

"Meanwhile, the top station was busy boarding passengers until mid-March, Hajj Dormitory Station was 135,626 passengers, Ampera as many as 111,030 passengers, DJKA as many as 100,423 passengers, and Bumi Sriwijaya as many as 82,900 passengers," he explained.

He said that for convenience and services for passengers, he also provided tenant facilities at the Bumi Sriwijaya, Cinde, Ampera and DJKA LRT stations. This is to provide opportunities for business actors to sell MSME products in the form of handicrafts or food and beverage products, so that it is expected to improve the economy of MSMEs.

"For the terms and conditions, the tenant can carry out further coordination with the South Sumatra Light Train Management Center (BPKARSS)," he concluded.