Zombies in bloody rags popping up growling and rolling eyes. Red flashing lights on the platform and signs warning of the living dead. Passengers running for their lives, assisted by soldiers who also turn into bloodthirsty undead along the way. With the help of actors and bags of fake blood, the Indonesian capital Jakarta is trying to attract passengers for the light rail, a new form of public transport in the jammed city of almost thirty million inhabitants.
The LRT line, a light rail line on concrete pillars almost 6 kilometers long, was opened at the end of 2019 to combat traffic jams in Jakarta. The six stops are a first step towards an ambitious network of light rail connections in the capital into which the Indonesian government intends to invest billions of euros in the coming years. President Joko Widodo has made infrastructure improvement his priority. Unfortunately for the government, the passenger numbers are disappointing: the LRT takes an average of 1,500 passengers per day, considerably less than the expected 7,000 per day. A ticket costs 35 cents.
The hired zombies should make the light rail more attractive for young people. Commissioned by the municipality, an event agency provides a performance inspired by the popular Korean horror film Train to Busan. Those who pay can become part of the performance in a train and at one of the stations; but also ordinary passengers pass this scene. “We want to show that public transport can also be cool,” the boss of the event agency told AFP news agency.
Jakarta suffers daily traffic jams that last for hours and very poor air quality. Every now and then the flow comes to a complete stop due to a macet total (ultimate traffic jam), after which local residents get involved to get traffic in their street smooth again. Too many cars and a lack of through roads, urban planning and alternative modes of transport are causing epic congestion and major economic damage. Measures such as days on which only vehicles with even or odd number plates are allowed to drive, new viaducts or extra bus lines have so far had insufficient effect. That is why the government hopes to tempt more Indonesians to use rail transport.
According to city planner Nirwono Joga of the Trisakti University in Jakarta, the fact that the initial interest is disappointing is mainly due to the chosen route. “No research has been done in advance into existing passenger flows and the needs of residents,” Joga said in the Indonesian newspaper last month. Compass. According to him, the chosen route is too short and plays no role in the daily commute of Jakartans. According to the planner, it would also help if the stations could be reached via sidewalks. Joga advises to put the plans for new rail connections on hold and to do research first into the needs of potential train passengers.