Jakarta – A dispute over a seat on a TransJakarta bus went viral after a mother and a young woman engaged in a heated argument. The incident,captured on video and widely shared on social media,highlights the often-unspoken rules of public transportation etiquette.
According to accounts of the incident, the mother requested a seat from the young woman, but was initially refused. The mother explained she was feeling unwell and not sitting in a designated priority seating area.
The young woman remained seated, while the mother continued to stand, leading to a verbal altercation.
Trisakti University Public Policy observer Trubus Rahadiansyah stated that,generally,parents should be offered a seat,notably by younger passengers,regardless of weather the seat is in a priority zone or not.
“Yes, this is the ethic, parents are given priority, they are the priority. Yes, even if they are not in priority seats. Because if the priority zone is full, they are still parents, they are still priority,” said trubus to detikcom, Tuesday (23/12/2025).
He also expressed understanding for the mother’s frustration in the viral video, acknowledging her right to a seat, while regretting the manner in which she requested it.
Trubus further explained that offering seats to the elderly on public transportation is a demonstration of public civility, something that relies on individual awareness rather than strict regulation.
“This is called public civility,regulations that already exist in the public. So, yes, they need to be implemented there,” continued Trubus.
Deddy Herlambang, a Senior Researcher at Instran, concurred with Trubus, noting that there are currently no formal rules governing seating arrangements on public transport.
“There are no regulations in SPM that require young peopel to give seats to those who are more senior. But this problem is a general convention in society that young people are obliged to give seats, even if they are not priority seats, to those who need them more,” said Deddy to detikcom.
In public transportation, whether rail-based or road-based, all seats are, in effect, priority seats for those who need them most-including parents, the elderly, pregnant women, individuals with disabilities, and those traveling with young children.
TransJakarta Responds
Responding to the incident, PT Transjakarta President Director Welfizon Yuza stressed the importance of mutual respect and understanding regarding seating on their buses. He also conveyed his empathy for customers inconvenienced by the situation.
“We apologize for the unpleasant experience experienced by our customers. TransJakarta is a collective property,and we want every trip to be a safe and cozy moment for all customers without exception,” said Welfizon Yuza in his statement.
TransJakarta recognizes that seating is a shared resource and appreciates displays of tolerance towards passengers who may not be feeling well.
However, priority seats are specifically reserved for elderly passengers, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and parents with young children.
“We will instruct officers in the field to be more proactive in socializing priority seat rules and help mediate if there are problems between customers on the bus,” added Welfizon.
TransJakarta provides multiple channels for customers to report issues or discomfort experienced during their journey, including reporting to on-duty officers at bus stops.
<strong>(acd/acd)</strong>
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