Dessy Sagita and Agnes Anya, Jakarta – In a city known for its monstrous traffic, "zombies" are rising up in a scary bid to get more people to use public transport.
That's the hope of Jakarta's LRT (light rapid transit) operator, which has turned a train and station into the setting of a bloody zombie apocalypse, with real passengers invited to the show.
The paid attraction, which the supercity's PT LRT Jakarta and event organizer Pandora Box launched last month, aims to promote the relatively new system and, more generally, encourage young people to use public transport.
The twitching, growling actors are dressed in tattered clothes. One especially scary character shows only the whites of his eyes. The zombies drag their feet toward passengers, sending them running through the dark station tunnels to a train.
Inside the blood-spattered carriage, a fictional TV anchor played by an actor reports news about a made-up "Pandora" virus outbreak spreading around the city, turning humans into the walking dead.
"Soldiers" armed with fake rifles fight the "zombies" and try to escort passengers to safety. But the reanimated corpses lurk hidden, ready to emerge and terrorize.
'Beware of zombies'
"Danger, beware of zombies" warns a sign in the station, where red emergency lights pulse.
"The zombies didn't actually chase us but we still panicked," said Genesis Christi, a 17-year-old zombie enthusiast.
Called the "Train to Apocalypse", the event is inspired by the 2016 South Korean horror film, Train To Busan.
"We want to tell young people that taking public transportation can be something cool, too," Billy Junior, CEO of Pandora Box, told AFP.
Home to more than 30 million people, heavily polluted Jakarta has some of the world's worst traffic congestion, and its uneven pavements mean it is not conducive to walking.
The Jakarta LRT only began commercial operation in December 2019. Transport analysts cautioned at the time that the new line and cheap prices alone would not cure the city's infatuation with private vehicles.
Riding the Train to Apocalypse costs between Rp 60,000 and Rp 70,000 (US$4-4.70) until the event ends on Sunday.
The organizers have promised that the 20-minute ride will not disrupt the trips of regular LRT passengers, who can catch a glimpse of the horror show for free, even without participating.