A special journalistic writing competition for journalists has been completed by the South Sumatra Light Railway Management Center (BPKARSS). The event, which took place between October and November, was successful in capturing the best work related to the optimization of Light Rail Transit (LRT) development.

According to BPKARSS Public Relations Officer Fajar Anugrah Tumanggor, at least several mass media outlets were present. Sumatera Ekspres, Tribun Sumsel, Kompas.Com, and Matanews.com were among the others. "This competition is specifically for journalists from South Sumatra," he explained.

He stated that the announcement would take place on Thursday, 14 December 2023. The competition features three champions. The first prize is Rp 5 million, the second prize is Rp 3 million, and the third prize is Rp 2 million. "The competition's examiners or evaluators are BPKARSS internal and journalistic expert staff," he explained.

The competition is expected to capture ideas and opinions from the media. "The media is one of the pillars of democracy." Of course, aspirations from news writing are an important medium for improving LRT in the future. "The success of the National Movement to Return to Public Transportation (GNKAU) in particular," he said.

Meanwhile, BPKARSS Facilities and Infrastructure Utilization Section Head Aditya Yunianto explained that the competition was created with the future role of mass media in mind. "There was also Ngobras (Chat along with media and community) before this, so this activity is an appreciation for them," he added.

Adit described how some of the works that had made their way into the committee's email described the passengers' experiences while riding the South Sumatra LRT. "I also read people's feedback on LRT development." "For example, increasing feeder routes and adding new routes to Kertapati," he explained.

Of course, the journalist's experience in journalism is a plus for the development of LRT. With increasing congestion and a greater need for reliable, comfortable, and safe public transportation, LRT is undoubtedly the community's first choice.

Rachmad from the Tribun, one of the participants, stated that this type of activity is critical. He suggested that the competition could be held every year with different themes. As a result, the quality of journalists' writing and reporting will improve.