'Bus fare hikes to take effect in August'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso announced on Monday that the
\nplanned hike on bus fares would be made effective by the first
\nweek of next month.<\/p>\n
The governor insisted that the increase, which has received
\nsharp criticism from the Indonesian Transportation Labor Union
\n(SPTI) and the general public, was a necessity to prevent public
\ntransportation companies and cooperatives from going out of
\nbusiness.<\/p>\n
\"The hike in bus fares will be arranged in a way so that it
\nwon't burden city residents here too much,\" Sutiyoso told
\nreporters at City Hall on Monday.<\/p>\n
He added that the city administration was also considering
\ncutting taxes on public buses.<\/p>\n
\"But by how much it's going to be cut down... it has not been
\ndecided yet. Remember that the administration is largely run on
\ntaxes too,\" Sutiyoso said.<\/p>\n
When asked about the threat of a massive strike should the
\ncity administration continue with its plan, revealed by drivers
\ngrouped in SPTI recently, Sutiyoso said that he also had to
\nconsider other factors and groups in society.<\/p>\n
\"I can't just listen to SPTI. I do also have to listen to the
\ntransportation businesses and the public as well. What SPTI plans
\nto do later would be its own choice.\"<\/p>\n
The administration announced last week that fares for regular
\nbuses would rise to Rp 500 from Rp 300, for non-air-conditioned
\nexpress and limited buses (PATAS) to Rp 900 from Rp 700, for
\nminibuses to Rp 700 from Rp 500 and the fares for air-conditioned
\nPATAS buses would go up to Rp 2,500 from Rp 2,300.<\/p>\n
The student fare would be doubled to Rp 200.<\/p>\n
Deputy Governor for Development Affairs Budihardjo Sukmadi
\nsaid last week that the plan would be effective sometime this
\nweek, after Sutiyoso issues a gubernatorial decree.<\/p>\n
Strong opposition from several parties apparently led Sutiyoso
\nto delay the implementation of the plan.<\/p>\n
Agus Pambagio from the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI),
\nwho was involved in discussions to hike the bus fare, said the
\nannouncement of the fare increase was nothing but a political
\nmove.<\/p>\n
\"The administration only wants to please businesspeople in the
\npublic transportation industry without solving the real problems
\nin the transportation sector,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Agus also said that YLKI never approved the bus fare hike,
\nalthough its representatives had participated in a series of
\ndiscussions about the city administration's plan.<\/p>\n
Budihardjo Sukmadi had said that a YLKI representative was
\nalso present when the plan was first suggested at a July 5
\nmeeting with executives from the city's Land Transportation
\nAgency and the Jakarta Chapter of the Organization of Land
\nTransportation Owners (Organda).<\/p>\n
But Agus reiterated that the last meeting attended by a YLKI
\nrepresentative was on June 28.<\/p>\n
In another related development on Monday, students grouped in
\nthe Forum Kota (City Forum) organization called on Jakartans to
\nmake a united stand against the city administration's plan.<\/p>\n
\"We call city dwellers to reject the bus fare hike policy and
\npay bus fares based on the old amounts,\" the group's spokesman,
\nIrfan Hutasoit, told a press conference at Sahid University in
\nSouth Jakarta.<\/p>\n
According to the group, the administration has no legitimate
\nreason to hike the fares, since it would only be an extra burden
\non the people.<\/p>\n
Irfan said the group was therefore urging the central
\ngovernment to subsidize the bus owners to cope with the
\nescalating cost of bus spare parts and accessories.<\/p>\n
\"By lowering the price of car spare parts, the businessmen
\nwill no longer have any reason to push forward with the
\ntransportation fare hike,\" he said.(ylt\/asa)<\/p>",
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