Train Class

Train is one of popular public transport in Java island. The train railways are starts from Merak in the west and ends at Banyuwangi and Surabaya in the east. The busy line are from Jakarta to Surabaya through Semarang at north side and Jakarta-Surabaya through Yogya and Solo at south side. Another destinations are Bandung, Malang, Madiun, Kroya, Kutoarjo, and many more cities. There are four classes train available. The lowest is economy class. Very cheap, but no Air Conditioning, hard and fix seats, many times stop, and five seat abreast. The third class is business class. This class still no AC, softer seat, and four abreast. The fare is double economy fare. The second class is executive class. This class equipped with AC, TV, and reclining four abreast seats. Executive class compartments still attach with business class compartment, so they have same speed. The fare executive class is almost double business class. The first class is Argo class. This train equipped with AC, TV, reclining seat, four abreast, and meal. Argo compartment is not attach to another class, so this train has maximum speed. The example of this classes are : Argo Gede (Jakarta-Bandung), Argo Muria (Jakarta-Semarang), Argo Anggrek (Jakarta-Surabaya), and Argo Wilis (Bandung-Surabaya).

Damri Bus

Soekarno-Hatta Airport Jakarta is not in Jakarta Province. This airport is located in Banten Province. The Government of Indonesia built this airport outside Jakarta to replace Kemayoran airport which located in the center of Jakarta. Kemayoran airport was closed due to safety reason and couldn’t develop with fast city growth around Kemayoran. The runway of Kemayoran airport is use as big road now. The name is Jl Benyamin S., which is the name of most popular Jakarta entertainer.

So, Soekarno-Hatta Airport is far from Jakarta. This airport has good pilot visibility from the sea and enough space for development. The best and special way to airport is Tol Bandara (airport toll-road). Airport toll-road is connected with city toll-road and other Jakarta toll-road. Although toll-road in Indonesia called as jalan bebas hambatan (free obstacle road), airport and city toll-roads often have traffic jam mainly in the morning and the afternoon.

One of public transportation to and from airport is Taxi. There are many taxi companies in airport. If we have enough budgets, we can use Silver Bird that has best service and safety or we can use another taxi companies with cheaper fare. But for the cheapest public transport is by bus. Indonesian people call it bus Damri (Damri Bus).

Damri bus load passenger from arrival terminal 1A, 1B, 1C, and 2F. These buses have many destinations in Jakarta and some point outside Jakarta. Almost of them are bus or angkot terminals (see “Terminal in Jakarta”). Damri bus destinations are:

South Jakarta: Pasar Minggu terminal,

Blok M terminal,

Kampung Rambutan terminal,

Lebak Bulus terminal, and

Bogor terminal.

East Jakarta: Rawa Mangun terminal,

Tanjung Priok harbour,

Bekasi, and

Cikarang.

Center of Jakarta: Gambir train station,

Kemayoran, and

Mangga Dua Square mall.

Damri bus fares are Rp 25.000 (25 thousand rupiahs) for Cikarang and Bogor, Rp 23.000 (23 thousand rupiahs) for Bekasi, and Rp 20.000 (20 thousand rupiahs) for other destinations. With rate of exchange nine thousand rupiahs per US$, the most far destination is less than 3 US$.

Damri Bus is big bus and has about 40 seats capacity. But in the busy time some passengers will be ready to standing due to all seats occupied. The bus equipped with air conditioning and use toll-road. The buses are departed every one hour or less depend on demand. From Jakarta, these buses depart every one hour or every half hour in the morning or in busy time start from 04.00 a.m. (local time).

Terminal in Jakarta

Jakarta as capital city of Indonesia is most crowded city in Indonesia. Millions peoples moving every day in Jakarta for work, business, study, trading, tourism, and government activities. Some of them use private car or motorcycle and the others use public transport. Many kind of public transports available in Jakarta such as big bus with AC, big bus without AC, medium bus, busway, train, taxi, bajay, ojek (motorcycle), and angkot (public transport with 10-15 seat passengers).

How to memorize them?

Is everybody in Jakarta remembers all route of public transports?

The answer is no. More than 100 routes are available for angkot and bus in Jakarta. We couldn’t remember all routes except we use all of them everyday. Most of Jakarta people only remember routes for their own daily activities. So, how about if they want to go to other places or other routes? They use public transport terminal as guidance.

We can go the nearest terminal and find public transport that passing or toward our destination. For example, if we stay in South Jakarta and want to go to Sudirman street, we can go to Blok M terminal and find bus that passing through Monas.

Terminals also could use as direction guidance. Some terminals are end points of Jakarta, so if we ride public transport and stop in terminal, we already at one of Jakarta end points.

Big terminal

In this terminal type, we almost can found any kind public transports to all other Jakarta terminal and also buses to another cities in Java and Sumatera islands. Most of Indonesian peoples moving in to Jakarta and moving out from Jakarta in this terminal type. The examples are Pulogadung, Kampung Rambutan, and Kalideres.

Medium terminal

In this terminal type, not all routes to other cities are available, but all routes to other destination in Jakarta are available. The examples are Pasar Minggu, Lebak Bulus, Blok M, and Pasar Senen.

Angkot terminal

In this small terminal, there are only a few angkot routes as public transports available. Sometimes there is no terminal building. The angkot use some area for stop and rest as end point or starting point. The example is Cililitan.

The terminal position determines traffic of passenger and vehicle. Terminal in strategic or center position will be busy terminal. Almost all roads in front of or behind terminal always get traffic jam. Some crowded terminals have bad security and safety. Copet (pickpocket) hang around inside and outside terminal. So, be careful if you have to go to terminal and its surrounding.

KRL

KRL which means KeReta Listrik is electric train. KRL is one of reliable public transports in Jakarta. KRL usually consist of eight compartments and driven by electric power. KRL moves from some area around Jakarta (Bogor, Bekasi, Tangerang) to downtown Jakarta. Base station of KRL in center Jakarta is at Stasiun Jakarta Kota (Jakarta City Station) or sometimes we call Stasiun Kota.

This station is located near “old city” area and build by Dutch colonial government. From Stasiun Kota we can go to south direction to Depok and Bogor and passing many little stations. In east direction we can go to Bekasi and passing some another little stations. From Stasiun Kota to west direction we can go to Tangerang and Serpong. The stations that passed by KRL for every route shows on map below.

There are three types of KRL. The first one is KRL Express which only stops at big station like Gambir and end station, so this KRL have high speed and equip with Air Conditioning. Of course, the ticket fare is highest than other type. Route for this KRL are Jakarta-Bogor, Jakarta-Bekasi, Jakarta-Depok, Jakarta-Serpong, Bogor-TanahAbang, Depok Tanah Abang, Bojong Gede-Tanah Abang, and Jakarta-Bojong Gede.

The second type is KRL economy class. This KRL isn’t equips with Air Conditioning and stops at almost all station in its route. Ticket price is lowest but speed is slower and sometimes passed by KRL Express. The passenger in economy KRL is many more than KRL Express. In the morning and afternoon this KRL overload and very hard to get into or exit from KRL. The route is same with KRL express but stops in every station. Sometimes when passenger is overload, the train stops due to some reason and the air is hot, situation inside this KRL is same with steam-bath. Big sweat will appears from skin and clothes will completely wet. If a passenger complaint with this condition, another passenger will advises to not ride this KRL tomorrow. Off course both of them will ride this KRL again next day because this KRL type is cheapest transport in Jakarta.

The third type is KRL AC Economy. This KRL is like KRL Economy but equips with Air Conditioning. The ticket fare is between economy and express. Some peoples which need stop at little station but also need comfortable compartment choose this KRL type.

For all of KRL type, passengers have only some seconds to enter or exit from KRL. For economy class, the time available is less than one minutes. For some station which more passengers load and unload, available time is longer. For KRL AC which must open and close doors, available time is longer than economy class. If you will use KRL for first time, please be careful. Don’t insist to enter if time is running out or KRL starts moving. Better if you try not in busy time. Don’t forget to watch your property because sometimes copet (pickpocket) use this opportunity to action.