The public supports the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway, although it has caused traffic congestion in the construction process. The public was aware that the project would grow the economy and reduce traffic congestions in the future.
It was known from the research by Raidha Nur Afifah (an alumnus of SBM ITB MBA program batch 57), under the supervision of Dr. Yuni Ros Bangun (SBM ITB Faculty). Raidha surveyed 420 respondents in Jakarta and Bandung areas and interviewed the representatives from KCIC.
Raidha said that the public was willing to pay for the quite expensive train ticket as long as it is safe, convenient, and punctual. However, they tend to disagree with the decision to cooperate with China in the construction of this project due to the perception of the poor quality of products made in China.
“The alternative solution offered is that the company should convince the public about the positive things why the company collaborates with China. It is suggested that the communication to the public would be more effective by using advertisement, 3rd party endorsers such as public figures, outreach media such as social media, radio, and national TV, and the support from other consortium companies,” Raidha said.
The construction of the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway raises various perceptions from the public. The public affective trust, complaint, and intention to the project may affect the business sustainability of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC). By understanding public perceptions, KCIC can find solutions and proposed strategies to convince the public to support the project.