Drive for money leads to bus accidents<\/p>\n
Urip Hudiono and Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Two public buses plying the same route wait in line for a red
\nlight to change at a busy intersection.<\/p>\n
The driver of the second bus has two choices left: let the
\nfirst one go ahead and take all the passengers waiting ahead of
\nthe traffic lights, or, seriously better, rev up the engine and
\novertake the bus in front, even if it means endangering his
\npassengers and other motorists.<\/p>\n
\"We have to try to get as many passengers as we can, in any
\nway, so that we can meet our targets and get a decent income,
\neven if it means being abused by everyone for reckless driving,\"
\nsaid Encep, a public bus driver who was waiting for passengers
\nwhile taking a break with his fellow drivers at the Kampung
\nRambutan bus terminal in East Jakarta on Friday.<\/p>\n
Many bus companies require their crews to pay a rental fee --
\nranging between Rp 700,000 (US$ 75.59) and Rp 1 million -- before
\nthey get anything for themselves. Others use a commission system,
\nin which the crew members get a percentage of the daily earnings.<\/p>\n
\"But the commission system is just the same,\" said Encep. \"If
\nwe don't get the minimum number of passengers, we could get
\nsuspended and lose even more of our earnings.\"<\/p>\n
A bus crew -- consisting of a driver and two assistants -- can
\nusually make Rp 200,000 in a single round trip on their route.
\nThey find it hard to meet their daily revenue targets due to the
\ncity's worsening traffic jams. A driver can work up to 15 hours a
\nday, from 6 a.m. through to 9 p.m., taking only short breaks in
\nbetween terminals.<\/p>\n
The habit of passengers to wait to board at places other than
\nbus stops, the drivers said, encouraged them to violate traffic
\nlaws.<\/p>\n
\"I have even picked up officers -- who should know better --
\nstopping my bus near toll road gates,\" Encep said, adding that
\nmany drivers ignored pleas by passengers to take it easy.<\/p>\n
The poor condition of the buses, the fact that most of the
\ndrivers got their driver's licenses by bribing the traffic police
\nand that they often hand over the wheel to their assistants
\nwhenever they feel tired leads to vehicular accidents.<\/p>\n
The latest accident was on Aug. 15, when a Mayasari Bakti bus,
\nspeeding from Bekasi to Kalideres on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll
\nroad, suddenly swerved into the opposite lane, hitting another
\nbus and a pick-up truck, leading to the death of 14 people, and
\n33 other passengers sustaining injuries.<\/p>\n
Little has been done by the police and the local government
\ntransportation agencies to ensure the safety of passengers.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Traffic Police said they don't have reliable data
\non the number of bus accidents caused by reckless drivers. The
\npolice can only say that from January to July there were 2,631
\nvehicular accidents, in which 586 people died and 1,508 suffered
\nserious injuries.<\/p>\n
Officials from the transportation agency said they would
\ninvestigate the problem of bus companies deploying defective
\nvehicles, thus leading to accidents. Many bus companies, however,
\nsay that their buses have passed the yearly roadworthiness tests
\nfrom the agency, and that they also conduct routine checks on
\ntheir vehicles.<\/p>\n
The drivers also complain about the public's tendency to run
\namok whenever an accident involving their buses occurs.<\/p>\n
\"Many drivers flee an accident scene because they are afraid
\nof being mobbed by the crowd, even if they were not actually the
\nguilty party, or the accident was inevitable due to a vehicle
\nmalfunction,\" said Jaja, another bus driver.<\/p>\n
I-Box
\n.rm120<\/p>\n
List of major bus accidents in Greater Jakarta:<\/p>\n
Date Place Cause Casualties Notes<\/p>\n
Aug. 15, 2004 Jakarta-Cikampek toll road unknown 14 killed, 33 injured Driver died
\nMay 15, 2004 Wiyoto Wiyono toll road burst tire 2 killed, 4 injured Runaway driver arrested on Aug. 14
\nMarch 5, 2004 Ciawi, Bogor reckless driving 3 killed, 1 injured
\nJan. 25, 2004 Jakarta-Cikampek toll road unknown 7 injured
\nJan. 9, 2004 Jakarta-Cikampek toll road reckless driving 3 killed, 6 injured
\nJan. 4, 2004 Jakarta-Cikampek toll road reckless driving 5 killed, 42 injured
\nJan. 3, 2004 Jakarta-Cikampek toll road unknown 1 killed Sole casualty was truck driver.
\nDec. 21, 2003 Jakarta-Cikampek toll road burst tire 2 killed
\nDec. 11, 2003 Jl. Sudirman, Dukuh Atas reckless driving A motorcycle driver killed
\nSept. 19, 2003 Jl. Diponegoro, Menteng reckless driving 35 injured
\nAug. 29, 2003 Jakarta-Tangerang toll roadreckless driving 1 killed, dozens injured
\nJuly 15, 2003 Jakarta-Tangerang toll roadreckless driving 6 killed, 34 injured
\nJune 10, 2003 Jagorawi toll road burst tire dozens injured
\nApril 21, 2003 Jakarta-Cikampek toll road reckless driving 11 killed, 23 injured
\nDec. 12, 2002 Jl. Daan Mogot, Tangerang reckless driving 3 killed, 40 injured
\nDec. 8, 2002 Cileungsi, Ciawi, Bogor reckless driving 3 killed, 1 injured
\nJune 29, 2002 Cisarua, Bogor reckless driving 2 killed, 13 injured Runaway driver was arrested on July 1
\nJune 24, 2002 Wiyoto Wiyono toll road unknown 1 killed, 15 injured
\nJune 3, 2002 Cisarua, Bogor faulty brakes 1 killed, 39 injured<\/p>\n
Source: Media reports<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/drive-for-money-leads-to-bus-accidents-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }