To express deep gratitude and honor the great contributions of Indonesian women in the country's construction and development, the Jakarta capital government carried out a meaningful and practical action on April 21.
In celebration of Kartini Day, a special holiday commemorating the birth of national heroine Raden Ajeng Kartini, who pioneered the fight for equality and advancement of Indonesian women, Jakarta has decided to completely exempt all female passengers from fares when using the city's major public transport, including the modern bus system and the extensive urban train network.
Female passengers will be exempted from using Jakarta's public transport on Kartini Day.
The significant decision by the Jakarta city government comes just days after an international event, when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) solemnly inscribed a massive collection of heartfelt handwritten letters by national heroine Raden Ajeng Kartini into the Memory of the World Register.
Born in 1879 into a prestigious Javanese aristocratic family, RA Kartini has been honored and praised as a shining symbol of the women's empowerment movement, thanks to her tireless efforts and timeless vision in promoting gender equality and protecting the legitimate rights of women in the context of Indonesia under Dutch colonial rule.
The government of Jakarta, Indonesia is offering free public transport fares to female passengers on the city's buses and trains.
The Kartini Day special fare-free program is widely applied to all female passengers when using key public transport services in the capital city of Jakarta. Specifically, the program includes the modern Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, the flexible Mikrotrans minibus network, as well as the advanced urban railway lines Jakarta MRT and Jakarta LRT, providing maximum convenience for women in moving around the city.
The Kartini Day fare exemption program applies to all female passengers of the Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Mikrotrans minibus services, as well as the Jakarta MRT and Jakarta LRT rail services.
However, taxi services, due to their nature as private transportation, are not covered by this program. This free public transportation gift is a demonstration of the city’s deep concern and care for all women and girls living and working in Jakarta.
In addition to the free fares, the city transport authority has also specially arranged a separate lane for female passengers at each train station and bus stop. Female passengers who choose to board public transport from these priority lanes will not have any fare deducted from their cash cards, ensuring a convenient and quick travel experience.
The free public transport program is the city's gift to all women and girls in the capital.
The Jakarta government expects that this meaningful fare-free program will bring practical benefits to more than 1.2 million commuters who use the city’s public transport system every day. Notably, Jakarta is also implementing a similar fare-free program, applicable to all passengers regardless of gender, on April 24, to solemnly celebrate National Public Transport Day, demonstrating its deep concern for developing a sustainable transport system and serving the community.
This is an opportunity for the country to send a strong message of respect, recognition and investment in the potential of women. In the context of a country that is constantly growing and developing, creating favorable conditions for women to participate in all aspects of social life is not only a humanitarian act but also a strategic step, contributing to building a more civilized, progressive and prosperous society.
