“I’m proud of the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway,” says this driver

“I’m proud to work on the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway project. It provides a large number of jobs for Indonesia and reduces the unemployment rate,” said Baim, a driver working on the project. “On the other hand, the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway reduces the travel time from Jakarta to Bandung to 40 minutes from at least two hours, which is a great improvement in traffic efficiency,” he told a reporter during an interview.

Baim is a 39-year-old Javanese man who lives in Jakarta. Because of the railway construction project, he usually lives in Bandung. He is the first Indonesian driver to work on the construction project, which he has worked on for three years. He has been a driver for 17 years. He used to work for a Hong Kong company and a company from mainland China, and he stayed with the projects until the end each time. He said he will continue working on this project after the construction is completed if he’s still needed.

It’s a bit difficult to ask an ordinary driver about the significance of the railway to Indonesia. But when asked about what it means to him, he said “Indonesian people have great expectations for the railway project and hope that it can be completed soon. The project can make transportation between Jakarta and Bandung more efficient. At the same time, the railway can enhance Indonesia’s economic development, especially in the areas surrounding the railway. It will be a new era for Indonesia. For example, after the Wallini Tunnel Project is completed, Wallini will become a new modern city in Bandung with tall buildings, residential neighborhood, schools, hospitals, and so on. Overall, the railway project will facilitate the development of the surrounding areas.”

Because of his work as a driver, Baim comes into contact with all kinds of Chinese employees, and so he has a better understanding of Chinese employees and Chinese companies. “Chinese employees can integrate into the community in Indonesia very well. They are decent, and respect the religious beliefs and customs of Indonesian society, which was a surprise. They get on well with each other, and there are no quarrels or any unpleasantness among them. What surprises me even more is their attitude towards work. They work all day without rest. Their diligence has a great influence on me. I have been a driver for 17 years. Before working on this project, I worked for a Hong Kong company and a company from mainland China. Colleagues there are all kind to me and I’m very happy. I’ve had the good fortune to work as a driver for the boss of the company. General Manager Zhang Wei from China Railway Group and the other Chinese colleagues are kind to me and I feel very happy. I want to work here until the end of the project.”