Rejecting The Ascension In KRL Tariffs In 2023, PKS: KRL Overloads In Busy Hours, Should Be Big Profit

The situation of the Commuterline electric rail carriage (KRL) at Manggarai Station, Jakarta, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. (Between)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission V DPR from the PKS faction, Suryadi Jaya Purnama, assessed that the basic tariff for the Jabodetabek Commuterline electric circuit (KRL) has not yet been raised. In addition to receiving various rejections, he said, KRL service users urged the increase to be reviewed. "Currently, people are still struggling to rise from the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, President Jokowi himself said that in 2023 there will be a crisis, of course, the increase in KRL rates will increase the burden on the community," Suryadi told reporters, Friday, December 16.

Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in March 2022, Suryadi said the number of poor people in the country was still very high, reaching 26.16 million people or 9.54 percent of the total population of Indonesia.

In addition, global inflation has helped raise the price of basic necessities for the community.

"Technically, Commuterline KRL is also still overloaded during rush hour, so KRL users cannot feel the full comfort. And of course, due to the overload, Commuterline KRL should have been able to take a fairly large profit without the need to increase the KRL rate," said Suryadi.

The member of the commission in charge of transportation issues revealed that in terms of finance, the Ministry of Transportation has also disbursed more than Rp3.2 trillion to subsidize train users in 2022. "Not to mention, PMN has also been given to PT. KAI is Rp6.9 trillion at the end of 2021. Then give PMN another Rp3.2 trillion in 2022," he said.

Suryadi said, PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia as a subsidiary of PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) which manages the Jabodetabek Commuter Train and its surroundings, also benefits from the amount of funds provided by the government to PT. KAI. "With these facts, we need to reject the plan to increase the basic KRL tariff to Rp5,000, because it is very burdensome for the community," concluded Suryadi.

The government plans to increase the Jabodetabek Commuterline KRL tariff next year. The KRL tariff is estimated to increase to Rp5,000 for the first 25 km and the next 10 km KRL continued tariff remains at Rp1,000.

The Director General of Railways at the Ministry of Transportation reasoned that the increase in KRL rates was for the adjustment of the KRL tariff because it had not increased since 2015.