New normal on commuter line in midst of pandemic, check the rules

Last updated on May 7th, 2021 at 06:46 am

The Indonesian government in the near future will implement new normal which will become the new order of life amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Later, new normal will make people change their habits in various activities, including using public transportation.

Then, when new normal is implemented, how will the protocol that will be applied to public transportation, so that the spread of the virus can be suppressed?

One of the land transportation, PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) will issue several new policies to deal with the new normal environment in the commuter line (KRL).

In new normal, PT KCI will continue to carry out health protocols that have been running so far, which is obliged to wear masks while in the station area and inside the KRL, check the body temperature of passengers, and apply physical distancing or maintain a distance in accordance with existing markers in the station and train area.

PT KCI Corporate Communications VP, Anne Purba, explained that the policy that was being prepared was to complement the health protocol that had been running so far.

Anne conveyed, one of the appeals to the passengers is not to talk directly or via cell phone when in KRL

“Because one of the Covid-19 infections through droplets or fluid that comes out of the mouth and nose canal when coughing, sneezing, or talking,” she said.

To further enable the condition of maintaining this distance, Anne added, at certain times when it is crowded, there will be insulation at a number of station points. That way, it is expected that the number of people who are on the platform and on the train can be controlled.

In addition, TNI soldiers were alerted to guard the implementation of the new normal scheme in the station area.

The TNI soldiers to remind passengers who neglected to not use masks and also did not pay attention to the distance between the passengers with each other.

The presence of these TNI soldiers was not only alerted at the station area but also alerted to escort passengers in the KRL series.

As is known that the number of Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek) KRL users has dropped dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic. Previously, it could serve 900 thousand to one million KRL users per day before, during the pandemic and Large Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) it only served 180 thousand-200 thousand users per day.

The number of trips is indeed reduced, due to reduced operating hours following the PSBB provisions related to public transportation operations. But with a fixed number of circuits, the headway and frequency of train trips also remain the same.

“Overall, the number of KRL users has decreased by more than 80% compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic,” Anne said, Thursday, May 28.

Anne also invited KRL users to make the most of the non-cash ticket transaction facility by using a Multi-Trip Card (KMT), a bank electronic money card, and the Link Aja application.

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