Drive to phase out non-AC buses gains public support<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The proposal to eliminate non-AC limited
\npassenger buses has gained industry and public support.<\/p>\n
Both the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) and the city
\nchapter of the Association of Public Transportation Owners
\n(Organda) said yesterday they supported the proposal, under which
\nthe city would operate only regular buses and air-conditioned
\nexpress buses.<\/p>\n
The proposal was floated Tuesday by councilor M. Rodja of the
\nUnited Development Party faction.<\/p>\n
YLKI chairperson Tini Hadad said by eliminating non-AC limited
\npassenger buses and converting them into regular buses, the
\npublic would get better service and affordable fares.<\/p>\n
She said that currently, bus companies prefer to operate non-
\nAC limited passenger busses rather than regular buses due to the
\nlow fare of regular buses in comparison to non-AC limited
\npassenger buses.<\/p>\n
\"This is understandable because they want to profit. But, it
\ndisadvantages customers because they pay more, while the service
\nin non-AC limited passenger buses is the same as in regular
\nbuses,\" Tini said.<\/p>\n
Under the fare structure set by the government last year,
\nregular buses charge Rp 300 (12 U.S. cents) per person and
\nlimited passenger buses charge Rp 700 per person.<\/p>\n
Tini said non-AC limited passenger buses also failed to follow
\ntraffic regulations, which prohibit them from stopping just
\nanywhere, just like regular buses, or carrying more passengers
\nthan allowed.<\/p>\n
\"Regulations say limited passenger buses should stop at bus
\nshelters only,\" Tini said.<\/p>\n
She said the administration should impose heavier penalties on
\nbus companies which violated regulations to prevent them from
\nrepeating their mistakes,\" Tini said.<\/p>\n
City regulations allow limited passenger buses during peak
\nhours to carry only 10 more passengers than the number of
\navailable seats.<\/p>\n
She also urged bus companies to keep their promise to improve
\nbus service made when the government increased transportation
\nfares in April last year. \"A year has passed and the service is
\nstill the same,\" Tini said.<\/p>\n
She said she was not against the notion of increasing regular
\nbus fares to Rp 500 per person after the elimination of non-AC
\nlimited passenger buses.<\/p>\n
\"But, bus companies can not ask to increase fares without
\nimproving the service,\" Tini said.<\/p>\n
Organda chairman Aip Syarifuddin supported the councilor's
\ncall to eliminate non-AC passenger buses.<\/p>\n
\"By eliminating non-AC limited passenger buses and converting
\nthem into regular buses, bus companies can run more regular buses
\nin the city,\" Aip said.<\/p>\n
He said he supported the councilor's suggestion to raise
\nregular bus fares to Rp 500 after the non-AC limited passenger
\nbuses were eliminated and converted into regular buses.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, councilor M. Rodja of the United Development Party
\nfaction proposed the municipality eliminate non-AC limited
\npassenger buses and operate only regular and air-conditioned
\nexpress buses. The non-AC limited-passenger should be converted
\ninto regular buses, he added.<\/p>\n
Rodja was responding to complaints that some regular buses
\nhave disappeared from service on designated routes, as recorded
\nby the City Land Transportation Agency, and limited passenger
\nservices were not being run as a limited service.<\/p>\n
According to City Land Transportation Agency data, the city
\nnow operates 3,691 buses, 1,900 of them are non-AC Patas, and 672
\nAC Patas, and 1,119 regular buses. The buses ply 217 routes
\nacross the city. (ste)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/drive-to-phase-out-non-ac-buses-gains-public-support-1447893297",
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