Commuter train service being put on fast track

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Long neglected, the government seems to have realized that trains could be the only affordable mass rapid transportation system that really works in the capital.

In the past year, the government has made efforts to improve services, including the construction of double tracks, expansion of routes and the addition of air-conditioned cars, in a bid to lure residents to leave their cars at home.

But old habits are hard to break.

Although railway officers have begun cracking down on free riders who sit on the tops of cars or hang on between train cars, people are still willing to risk their lives for a free ride home while avoiding the traffic.