Lack of regular buses to be evaluated<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A meeting between city officials and bus owners
\nwill be held today to evaluate the lack of Rp 300-fare (12 U.S.
\ncents) buses on designated routes.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Organization of Land Transportation Owners
\n(Organda) city-branch, Aip Syarifuddin, said the City Land
\nTransportation Control Agency had given bus owners until June 30
\nto operate all their regular buses.<\/p>\n
\"Yesterday (Tuesday) was the last day for bus companies to
\noperate all their regular buses, otherwise their permits will be
\ntemporarily revoked,\" Aip said.<\/p>\n
\"The agency said it had received complete reports on the
\ndisappearance of regular buses from the city's five mayoralties,\"
\nAip said yesterday.<\/p>\n
He said the agency claimed it would no longer tolerate bus
\nowners' excuses for not operating regular buses.<\/p>\n
Many people complained earlier this month of having to pay at
\nleast Rp 700 on routes on which Rp 300-fare buses were meant to
\noperate, saying they seemed to be nonexistent.<\/p>\n
Fares are Rp 700 on non air-conditioned, limited passenger
\n(Patas) buses and Rp 1,800 on air-conditioned Patas buses.<\/p>\n
\"Most bus companies depend on profit from AC Patas buses to
\nsubsidize regular buses,\" Aip said.<\/p>\n
Bus owners claim they operate at a loss.<\/p>\n
Assistant secretary of economic and development affairs,
\nPrawoto S. Danoemihardjo, said Monday the Land Transportation
\nAgency was proposing to raise the fare, after Governor Surjadi
\nSoedirdja acknowledged that Rp 300 was too low.<\/p>\n
A figure has not been revealed.<\/p>\n
Bus owners are subject to a 1996 rule of the Ministry of
\nTransportation which states they must operate 40 air-conditioned
\nPatas and 30 regular, Rp 300-fare buses to every 30 non air-
\nconditioned Patas buses.<\/p>\n
Following complaints from the public earlier this year, bus
\ncompanies were found to be using several of their regular buses
\nas non air-conditioned Patas buses.<\/p>\n
The transportation agency's findings into the nonexistence of
\nregular buses on the road, announced in March, showed that out of
\n1,679 low-fare buses, only 439 were operating.<\/p>\n
Agency chief J.P. Sepang gave all bus companies until June 30
\nto operate their regular buses, saying owners would have their
\npermits revoked otherwise.<\/p>\n
The agency temporarily prohibited several bus companies from
\noperating, including state-run bus company PPD for operating only
\n207 of its 535 regular buses.<\/p>\n
The PT Mayasari Bhakti bus company was temporarily banned for
\noperating only 176 of its 287 regular buses and PT Ikawali Pusaka
\nfor operating only eight out of its 15 buses.<\/p>\n
PT Steady Safe Arion operated only 33 of its 56 Rp 300-fare
\nbuses, PT Bianglala Metro operated six out of 50 and PT Giri
\nIndah operated none of its 15 regular buses.<\/p>\n
Ideally, Aip said, the city should operate more air-
\nconditioned Patas buses to cover operational costs of low-fare
\nbuses. Buses plying 217 routes consist of 1,900 non air-
\nconditioned Patas buses, 672 air-conditioned Patas buses and
\n1,119 regular buses. (ste)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lack-of-regular-buses-to-be-evaluated-1447893297",
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