Traffic congestion occurs on Jalan Jenderal Gatot Subroto Road in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Jan 9, 2025. ASLAM IQBAL VIA GETTY IMAGES
Editor's note: In this weekly feature China Daily gives voice to Asia and its people. The stories presented come mainly from the Asia News Network (ANN), of which China Daily is among its 20 leading titles.
Zakaria, 24, waited for a less crowded commuter line train so he could sit on his trip home to Daru, Banten, from Tanah Abang Station in Central Jakarta. He had just transferred from Bekasi, West Java, where he had undergone a hemodialysis session in a hospital, and was feeling too weak to stand through the journey.
He braces himself for the overcrowded commuter train journey twice a week for his treatment, as crossing three provinces would be highly inconvenient if public transit did not connect cities beyond Jakarta.
"Going by ambulance is the only alternative, but that's for emergencies. I can only rely on the commuter line, while other transport modes don't reach Daru," he told The Jakarta Post.
