No third party behind drivers' strikes: Sutiyoso<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso
\nruled out allegations that a third party was behind the strikes
\nin the past few days.<\/p>\n
He said the strikes reflected the \"pure\" actions of drivers,
\nand added he was ready to mediate between public transportation
\ndrivers, the City Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ) and the
\nOrganization of Land Transportation Owners, Organda.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, meetings between DLLAJ and Organda failed to
\nreach an agreement.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso, who is also chairman of the Agency for Coordinating
\nSupport of National Stability city branch, said strikes were by
\ndrivers who were \"upset with new additional fleets or too many
\nfleets plying similar routes\".<\/p>\n
Meanwhile a councilor raised allegations of collusion between
\ntransportation authorities and bus company owners, which he said
\nled to driver unrest.<\/p>\n
Councilor Djafar Badjeber of the United Development Party city
\nbranch said collusion included issuing permits for routes.<\/p>\n
\"Both the agency and bus owners should realize that by issuing
\npermits for their own interests, they had caused an overlap of
\nsome routes,\" Djafar said yesterday.<\/p>\n
He urged the agency to evaluate the city's public
\ntransportation system to prevent further strikes.<\/p>\n
Transportation agency officials in Jakarta and Bogor have not
\nrevealed the actual fee for route permits. Bus owners in both
\ncities say permits range between Rp 1 million and Rp 18 million,
\ndepending on the number of potential passengers.<\/p>\n
A study on Jakarta's transportation by the Bandung Institute
\nof Technology's transportation laboratory, citing agency data,
\nsays that route permits for small buses cost Rp 75,000.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile most drivers on strike in Bogor resumed work, except
\nfor those plying the Merdeka-Ciomas route and the Ciampea-Jasinga
\nroute.<\/p>\n
Bogor Military District Commander Lt. Col. Mustofa said he
\ndeployed military officers along all routes to prevent drivers
\nfrom damaging other drivers' vans who refused to strike.<\/p>\n
Mustofa said he had deployed 100 military and city-owned
\ntrucks and buses to pick up stranded passengers.<\/p>\n
For the first time during the strikes, the chief of the Bogor
\nLand Transportation Agency, Endang Tabroni, admitted yesterday
\nthere were too many fleets.<\/p>\n
Endang said he found out that 02A vans on the Sukasari-Merdeka
\nroute had increased from 256 licensed vehicles to 300 vehicles.<\/p>\n
He said many unregistered vans operated in Bogor.<\/p>\n
Earlier Bogor drivers said at least 1,800 unregistered vans
\noperated in the city.<\/p>\n
The strikes have benefited alternative transportation
\nproviders, including motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers.<\/p>\n
Edi Sukarman, an ojek driver, said he earned Rp 25,000
\n(US$10.40) in two hours.<\/p>\n
\"I became an ojek driver because of the strikes,\" Edi, who is
\nalso an employee of a local cooperative, said.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, all drivers resumed work.<\/p>\n
However Sudarman, an M01 minivan driver, said he and other
\ndrivers plying the Senen-Kampung Melayu route would strike again
\nif their complaints did not receive a response from DLLAJ.<\/p>\n
He said the presence of large private-owned Steady Safe buses,
\nwith a cheaper fare of Rp 300 on the same route, threatened their
\nlivelihood. Four other buses already passed similar routes,
\nSudarman said.<\/p>\n
Other drivers, including those passing along the Kampung
\nMelayu-Pasar Minggu route, said agency officials had promised
\nthem that the amount of buses would not increase.<\/p>\n
A driver, Majid, said, \"The office also pledged to abolish
\nillegal levies commonly asked for by their unscrupulous employees
\nat terminals.\"<\/p>\n
He said drivers usually have to pay Rp 400 each time they
\nenter and exit terminals.<\/p>\n
\"We have to set aside Rp 4,000 for them each day,\" Majid said.
\n(24\/jun\/ste\/03)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-third-party-behind-drivers-strikes-sutiyoso-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}