Busway ticketing system prone to corruption, say experts<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Transportation experts called on the Jakarta administration on
\nWednesday to set up an online ticketing system for the busway
\nbecause the current system was prone to corruption.<\/p>\n
The call was made after the Corruption Eradication Commission
\nannounced on Tuesday its findings on allegations of markups
\nduring the procurement of the busway buses by the administration.<\/p>\n
The experts, grouped in the Sustainable Transport Action
\nNetwork for the Asia Pacific, said during a seminar on the busway
\nthat the ticketing system would always be a burden on the city
\nbudget unless the administration addressed the problem.<\/p>\n
One of the experts, Agus Pambagio, said the current system did
\nnot provide tight controls over officers assigned to collect
\nmoney at busway shelters every day at 10 p.m.<\/p>\n
\"I just worry the busway ticketing system will end up like the
\non-street parking system that forced the administration to
\nsubsidize the Jakarta Parking Management Agency,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The administration attempted to introduce a voucher system for
\non-street parking, but the initiative failed apparently because
\nmotorists were uninformed and uncooperative. Under the system,
\nparking attendants were equipped with personal digital assistants
\nand collected the parking fees from motorists. In return, they
\nprovided motorist a freshly printed receipt.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Transportation Agency has already spent Rp 14
\nbillion (US$1.5 million) to develop an online busway ticketing
\nsystem. But, Agus said, the system did not work because the
\nagency chose the wrong technology.<\/p>\n
\"If the current technology has to be replaced, then the
\ntaxpayers money was spent for nothing. Governor Sutiyoso should
\nhave censured the agency head for the failure,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The 56 available busway buses can transport between 40,000 and
\n50,000 passengers each day, with tickets costing Rp 2,500 for a
\none-way trip.<\/p>\n
Other experts including Suyono Dikun of the University of
\nIndonesia, Bambang Sustantono of the Indonesian Public
\nTransportation Society and Wicaksono Saroso of the Urban and
\nRegional Development Institute also provided their evaluations of
\nthe first six months of the busway's operation.<\/p>\n
Wicaksono said the administration had failed to establish a
\nprofessional institution to manage the busway.<\/p>\n
\"The ailing state-run bus company PPD is a clear example of
\nmismanagement of a transportation company. It would be dangerous
\nif the same thing happened to the busway management,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The busway system, which not integrated with other
\ntransportation modes in the city, was slammed by Bambang. He said
\nthe failure to provide feeder services had contributed to the
\nfailure to attract car owners to switch to the busway.<\/p>\n
\"The administration must learn from the first busway corridor
\nfrom Blok M to Kota. The problems that occurred with this
\ncorridor should not reoccur in others,\" he said.<\/p>\n
City transportation agency head Rustam Effendy Sidabutar said
\nfeeder services did not need to be improved yet because even
\nwithout the feeders, the busway buses were always full.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso has said that he will consider the use of
\nlocally made kancil (four-wheeled motorized vehicles), which are
\nbeing introduced to replace the Indian-made bajaj (three-wheeled
\nmotorized vehicles), as a feeder alternative for the busway.
\nHowever, he did not provide any details on how this would work.<\/p>\n
He also said his administration would support the markup
\ninvestigation of the Corruption Eradication Commission, but added
\nthat the administration had yet to find any evidence to support
\nthe corruption allegations.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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