Commuter Line E-Ticketing System and the Disciplining of Urban Citizens

Cultural Dynamics in a Globalized World – Budianta et al. (Eds) © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-1-138-62664-5 Commuter line e-ticketing system and the disciplining of urban citizens A. Sandipungkas & L. Kurnia Department of Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia ABSTRACT: The e-ticketing system and its following policy have managed to change the culture of urban society in using public transportation. The e-ticketing system has changed the perception of train stations from a dirty, crowded, unorganized, and unsafe environment to a cleaner, safer, more comfortable, and more systematic environment. This research examines the disciplining practices in train stations and the Commuter Line trains in relation to the implementation of the e-ticketing system. The purpose of this research is to understand how the state political culture contributes to the process of disciplining and educating the people through the new system. 1 INTRODUCTION Since 2013, there has been a significant change in the Jabodetabek (the areas of Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi) Commuter Line train service with the implementation of the E-Ticketing system. The system has altered the area of train stations from a dirty, crowded, unorganized, and criminal-filled place to a cleaner, safer, more comfortable, and more systematic environment (BeritaSatu.com, 2016). Since its implementation, it has managed to change the culture of urban society in using public transportation (Antaranews, 2013). This research examines the disciplining practices that occur in train stations and the Commuter Line in relation to the implementation of the e-ticketing system. The purpose of this research is to understand how the state political culture contributes to the process of disciplining and educating the people through the automation of public transportation service. One of the previous studies addressing the e-ticketing system is the research carried out by Grace Ng-Kruelle, et al. entitled E-Ticketing Strategy and Implementation in an Open Access System: The case of Deutsche Bahn (2006). The research analyses the advantages and challenges surfacing from the implementation of the e-ticketing system for the train service business in Germany, as well as its developmental strategies in utilizing the open access ticket system, which gives users direct access to tickets (Loh, Kramer, & Kruelle, 2005; Kruelle, 2003 in Kruelle, 2006, p. 7). In Indonesia, Singgih Rahadi, in his thesis entitled Proses Ino- vasi Layanan Sistem e-ticketing pada Kereta Commuter Jabodetabek (The E-ticketing System Innovation Process in Jabodetabek Commuter Trains) (2014), describes the innovation process of the e-ticketing provided by PT KAI Commuter Jabodetabek. The research addresses the motive behind the innovation, the dynamics in developing the innovative idea, as well as the implementation strategies and the benefits of the e-ticketing system. Another study focus- ing on the Commuter Line station following the implementation of the e-ticketing system is carried out by Ratna Kusmiati, in her thesis entitled, Analysis of Commuter Line Passengers Queue toward the Exit Door of Tanah Abang Central Jakarta (2014). Kusmiati finds that the long queues in Tanah Abang train station have not only been caused by inadequate facilities and infrastructure, but also by problems emerging from the implementation of the e-ticketing system. Meanwhile, Abidin Kusno, in Chapter V of his book entitled Ruang Publik, Identitas, dan Memori Kolektif: Jakarta Pasca-Suharto (Public Space, Identity and Collective 769 Memory: Jakarta Post-Suharto Era) (2009), examines the public transportation policy and its relation to the politics of urban culture. He finds that the Busway Project, as a form of populist policy of the administration of Jakarta’s former governor Sutiyoso acts not only as a ‘shock therapy’ to resolve Jakarta’s traffic congestion issue, but also as a form of disciplining technique in Jakarta. The Busway Project serves as an apparatus used by the city government to restore its authoritative power before the people after diminishment following the end of Suharto’s regime. Kusno’s research on the Busway Project is used as the model of analysis for this research. 1.1 E-ticketing: The innovation of commuter line service In 2008, PT KAI (Kereta Api Indonesia) created a subsidiary company called PT KAI Com- muter Line (hereinafter referred to as PT KCJ) in accordance with the President’s Instruction No. 5/2008 and the SOE Ministry Letter No. 5-653/MBU/2008. PT KCJ is established to improve the focus and quality of the train service in the Jabodetabek area (krl.co.id, 2013), with a scope of works ranging from public and cargo transportation businesses, maintenance of infrastructures, support in the concession of train infrastructures and facilities, and per- formance based on the general purpose of implementing the principles of a limited liability company (The Deed of Establishment of PT KAI Commuter Jabodetabek number 457:15, 2008). Previously, the Urban Transport Division of Jabodetabek, under the management of PT KAI, operated the Commuter Line service. Since 2013, one of PT KCJ’s strategies to achieve its main purpose is by implementing the e-ticketing system (The Internal Report of the National Train Revitalization Technical Team: 30, 2008). The e-ticketing, or electronic ticketing, system is an electronic card-based system in which a computer chip containing information, such as balance, fare, and travelling plan, is planted to replace paper-based tickets. The e-ticketing system was first implemented in American business flights in the 1980s, and it revolutionized the conventional ticketing system through its efficiency and practicality. The implementation of the system requires a set of operational tools, which include electronic cards, card dispensers, and automatic gates for tapping in/ out. Generally, the benefits of the e-ticketing system are easier access for train passengers, improvement of the service quality of the ticketing system, and optimization of revenue (Ng- Kruelle, Swatman, and Kruelle, 2006). The quality of the Commuter Line service and the conditions of the train stations before the implementation of e-ticketing were problematic and far from convenient. The stations were dirty and unorganized due to overcrowding. There were a great number of unsupervised and unregulated illegal activities. The Commuter Line service experienced recurring delays and technical problems. The ineffectiveness of the conventional paper-based ticketing system also caused many problems, such as the so-called atapers, long queues, and pickpockets in the trains and stations. The term atapers refers to passengers who sit on the roof, or atap in Indonesian, of the trains during the ride. Some stated that the atapers are usually associated with free riders, while in fact there are some people who buy tickets but still prefer to sit on the roof. Thus, the management of PT KCJ considers the e-ticketing system as the appropri- ate solution to resolve all of these issues, while at the same time improving the service quality. This system is believed to be capable in improving the service system, while at the same time changing the culture of the unruly passengers that have been going on for a long time (Rahadi, 2014). Preparation for the implementation of the e-ticketing system in Jabodetabek Commuter Line started with the sterilization process of the stations from peddlers and illegal kiosks both within and around the stations, the closings of illegal access to the stations, and the rearrangement of the stations in order to install the operational tools for the e-ticketing system. The implementation of the e-ticketing system in the Jabodetabek Commuter Line results in the usage of single and multi-trip electronic cards replacing paper-based tickets, the usage of automatic gates for the passengers to check in and out replacing the ticket inspec- tor officers, and the implementation of the progressive fares. In other words, the e-ticketing system means the automation of the stations. The term ‘automation’ is derived from the word 770 Figure 1. The procedure of purchasing a conventional ticket with flat rate: the same rate is applied for both short and long-distance trips IDR 8,000. (Mechanism: purchase the ticket at the counter—obtain the paper ticket with the destination information—ticket inspection process inside the Commuter Line—leave the station freely). Figure 2. The procedure for the e-ticketing system with the progressive rate: the rate for the first five stations is IDR 2,000 and increases by IDR 1,000 for every 3 next stations. Since April 2015, the progressive rate is based on the travel distance of the commuter line in order to make it fairer. The first 25 km is IDR 2,000, and it increases by IDR 1,000 for every next 1–10 km (Mechanism: Purchase ticket on the counter—Obtain card ticket from dispenser—Tap the card on the automatic gate—Tap again on the automatic gate to leave the station). Grundrisse by Marx which refers to a time when the social structure of the capitalist society depends heavily on the development of technology (Marx in Mulyanto, 2013). 1.2 Marginalization from e-ticketing Before the implementation of the e-ticketing system in stations, PT KCJ had begun the sterilization process of the stations by evicting street peddlers and illegal residents and closed illegal access for almost 7 months since 2012. This was followed by the rearrangement of the stations, namely the installation of the operational tools required for the e-ticketing system. In carrying out the sterilization process, PT KAI as the owner of the station area col- laborated with security forces to clear out the kiosks on the train platforms and the stations’ parking areas. The eviction process faced great resistance especially from the merchants and people who had peddled and lived around the station areas for a long time.

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