Go To Bandung With Argo Parahyangan

Last year, near the celebration of the coming year 2024, I took my mom to Bandung. If you were asking why Bandung again; well, since I brought my mother I wasn't mentally ready to explore new places in other cities. Not to mention, everything is expensive during the holiday season so Bandung is always going to be my first choice. 

I bought ticket of Argo Parahyangan to go to Bandung on 30th of December 2023. And when we arrived at Gambir station, already so many people there. And unlike our previous departure, this time no staffs on duty helping me with my mom's wheelchair. All of them were busy with other passengers, so I push the wheelchair by myself and get ready for ticket checking.

Since the previous trip we were sort of almost miss the train. The schedule was on 06.30 AM but the train entered the station around 06.25 AM. You can imagine how panicked my mom and me. She can't walk fast let alone run to aboard the train. So, I was a bit worried this time the same thing would happened. But thankfully, the train arrived earlier and there was an officer in charge ready to help. 

FACE RECOGNITION

Previously we need to create boarding pass to enter the platform. If we are using the Indonesian Train's  apps, then we only need to create e-boarding pass and show it to the officer in charge. 

However, now we can choose another option and that is FACE RECOGNITION. Face Recognition is a facial scanning feature used to identify and authenticate a person's identity. Passengers are required to have their faces scanned so that their biometric data can be used and integrated with their train tickets. Therefore, passengers need to registered their identity in order to go through the face recognition process. I'm not sure if this procedure can be used by foreign tourists, though.

Many complaints about this procedure, as they are worried about breaching of personal data. Plus, the officers in charge seems reluctant to assist passengers with manual boarding pass. FYI, if you boarding from Gambir station then there will be separate gates for those using manual boarding pass and those registered to us Facial Recognition. 

Well, we are still have to create e-boarding pass, as we probably going to need it on board. Sometimes other passengers sit on our seats because they mistakenly enter the wrong railroad car. If you have the e-boarding pass then we at the least have written proof that this is our seat. Or probably theirs, we wouldn't know whose fault , right?

As for me, I find Face Recognition process help me to get through the gate sooner. Especially since I have to push my mom's wheelchair before passing the gate. While doing that, we only need to get our face scanned, and that's it. 

LIFT and TRAVELATOR

Considering that as for now only 2 train stations that I know have access to wheelchair users, I rarely choose other cities for traveling with my mom. In short, I was lazy to browse finding information in such a short time. Anyway, those helpful stations are Gambir and Bandung train station. Gambir's has available lift while Bandung's has travelator.

Though now many public places train stations have available wheelchairs for us to use, I prefer to bring my own. I prefer our own wheelchairs out of habit during pandemic. My mom still able to walk a little bit, but not for using escalator let alone stairs. 

PRIORITY SEATS ON THE TRAIN

So far, I have finally learn that the nearest seat with restroom is the exact priority seat. This seat is for elderly, disable people, pregnant woman and people with baby. 

But this is priority seat on Argo Parahyangan's train. I will try to find out priority seats on others train for domestic traveling.

If we choose to sit here, there is this area to place the wheelchairs. I usually buy the ticket through apps of Kereta Api Indonesia to choose the seat's number and railroad car. 

PORTER

Since I can't bring handbags (contain snacks from Bandung) while handling my mom's wheelchair, I decided to use porter's assistance. I realized I am now JOMPO (or in English: decrepit) and can't handle everything by my own, therefore I need their help.

Their fee? They usually will tell you that they receive any reasonable amount. Just make sure that you really give them reasonable amount. 

So, other than Bandung, is there any other train station that has access for wheelchair users?