Pak Rosidi, Keretan Boat Captain at Pesing River West Jakarta

Keretan Boat at Pesing River

Most Jakartans will neither use nor need his services, but for residents around West Jakarta’s Pesing, Pak Rosidi is a savior. Instead of walking an extra 300 meters everyday to cross the river, they can board his boat. A short time and a small fee later, they find themselves on the other side.

The 60-year-old grandfather talked to My Jakarta about his life, his boat and dealing people who don’t want to pay the fare.

He’ve been operating the keretan here for two years. Before that, He worked with His boat in the Teluk Gong area, which is 15 minutes from here. But Pak Rosidi worked they built a new bridge, and people no longer needed the boat.

Pak Rosidi don’t really remember the first time he worked on a keretan, but his think it was about 30 years ago, in the 1980s. "I don’t remember the exact year, it was a long time ago". People only paid Rp 50 per crossing then. He was helping His friend and learned from him about the keretan. 

Pak Rosidi, Keretan Boat Captain

Most of passengers to carry across the river are factory workers, residents and students. They use the boat because the nearest bridge is about 300 meters away. That is a long distant if you have to walk it every day. Until three years ago, there was a floating bridge, so people could cross easily. Then the bridge broke and it was never repaired. So Pak Rosidi asked the local authorities if he could bring the keretan here.

Normally, Pak Rosidi earn Rp 30,000 to Rp 50,000 per day. He charge adults Rp 1,000 and students Rp 500 per crossing. Pak Rosidi always on the boat during the day, unless taking a shower at the public facilities or buying food. Sometimes, He have to stop eating if someone wants to cross because he don’t want them to wait. Pak Rosidi also sleep on the boat, because he don’t have to pay rent and he can save some money. After working for a month, Pak Rosidi go back to His village in Brebes because Pak Rosidi family lives there. He stay there for a month, working in the rice paddies. Another guy takes His place as the boatman while I’m gone.

Pak Rosidi said why he came to Jakarta because the income from the rice is not enough. He have his own rice paddies and he also worked in other people’s paddies. But is not enough, he needed more money, so he came to Jakarta. Pak Rosidi first job in Jakarta was to dig up land on construction sites. That was around 1976. Now that he too old and no longer have the energy to work as a manual laborer. The pay was better and he had more free time because the work day was done at 4 or 5 p.m. As a keretan boatman, he work from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and earn the same amount.

Pak Rosidi wife also works by selling tempe in Brebes. At first, she was embarrassed by having to walk around the village selling tempe, but now, when Pak Rosidi ask her to stop, she says she doesn’t want to. So if we see and look around, many people feel happy and many people have heavy live at Jakarta. But this is the real live in metropolitan city.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/myjakarta/my-jakarta-pak-rosidi-keretan-boat-captain/502064