A stitch in time<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso's tardiness in issuing a decree on public
\ntransportation fares following the recent increase in fuel prices
\nreflects his inability to manage the situation. Sutiyoso has yet
\nto demonstrate how he is going to cope with the impact of the
\nhike in fuel prices, and telephone and electricity charges that
\nthe government announced earlier this month.<\/p>\n
The city administration has still not decided on new public
\ntransportation fares while the bus companies have so far been
\npatient enough to hold back from increasing fares.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso has called on public transportation companies and
\ncrews not to raise fares by more than 10 percent, and he has
\nordered the head of the City Transportation Office to take
\nresolute action against those who do not comply.<\/p>\n
But appeals and threats will not be enough. Or maybe Sutiyoso
\nmerely wants to demonstrate his authority through such threats.<\/p>\n
While no single citizen is able to force the government to
\nannul its decision on utility prices, no single government
\ninstitution or official, including Sutiyoso, will be able to stop
\npublic transportation operators from increasing fares as they
\nlike.<\/p>\n
Passengers must now pay Rp 1,700, Rp 200 higher than the
\nprevious fare, to go by Mikrolet (twelve-seat minibus) from Tanah
\nAbang to downtown Kota.<\/p>\n
The Mayasari Bakti expresses plying the Pulo Gadung-Grogol
\nroute have also increased their fares from Rp 1,200 to Rp 1,400
\nwithout the approval of the authorities. The long-suffering
\npassengers have no choice but to accept the new fares.<\/p>\n
The governor, like many other Indonesian officials, loves to
\nbluff. We will just have to wait and see what Sutiyoso will do to
\nthose bus crews who have increased their fares by more than 10
\npercent over the old tariffs in defiance of the governor's
\nappeal.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso should have been wiser and more aware that this is
\nnot the right time to bluff and threaten. Punishment will not
\nmake any difference as it will not solve the problem.<\/p>\n
Prohibiting bus crews from raising their fares means
\ncondemning the bus operators to a slow death as the prices of
\nspareparts and the cost of living have also increased.<\/p>\n
One driver of a bus plying the Ciputat-Tanah Abang route has
\ncomplained about the drop in his daily earnings. He has to take
\ncut his daily income to buy diesel. Before the fuel price hikes
\nhe usually spent Rp 65,000 on diesel every day. Now he has to
\nspend Rp 115,000, or Rp 40,000 more than usually spent, while the
\nbus operator doesn't care about this.<\/p>\n
What the city administration should have done is issue a
\ndecree on new bus fares soon after the announcement of the fuel
\nprice hikes were announced, or subsidize the transportation
\ncompanies.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Organization of Land Transportation Owners
\n(Organda)'s Jakarta chapter, Aip Sjarifuddin, confirmed that his
\norganization had submitted an official request for new fares.<\/p>\n
As it is, the city administration's stance in anticipating the
\nimpact of the fuel price hikes seems to reflect Sutiyoso's
\nignorance of the needs of the grassroots population of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
After all, no one will believe that Sutiyoso was not informed
\nabout the government's plan to raise utility prices.<\/p>\n
Anyone could have predicted that the controversial decision
\nwould trigger street demonstrations and protests. And public
\ntransportation strikes would be among the most serious
\npossibilities that should have been taken into account by the
\nadministration, as civil commotion and violence could result.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the city administration does not seem to have
\nlearned from experience. As we have seen from many cases in the
\nrecent past, heated street demonstrations can easily turn into
\nviolence, especially once scuffles between the demonstrators and
\npolice officers break out.<\/p>\n
We hope, though, that at this stage Sutiyoso has learnt enough
\nnot to make any more unnecessary mistakes. As a former chief of
\nthe Jakarta Military Command, the governor should be fully aware
\nthat any violence can lead to shooting. And a single bullet fired
\nin the melee could quickly become a serious tragedy that could
\nrock the country's political and economic stability.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso will do well to think twice about the present
\nsituation. The demonstrations protesting the price hikes have
\nbeen growing bigger.<\/p>\n
The governor could have appeased public anger at least a
\nlittle if he had taken the prudent step of dealing with the
\npublic transportation problem a little sooner after the fuel
\nprice hikes were announced. A stitch in time saves nine, as they
\nsay.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-stitch-in-time-1447893297",
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