Plan to cut public transportation tariffs opposed by bus owners<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso's plan to reduce public
\ntransport fares following the government's announcement to cut
\nback the increase in fuel prices was rejected by several bus
\ncompany officials yesterday.<\/p>\n
Secretary of the Jakarta Public Transportation Cooperative
\n(Kopaja), Mochtar Sholeh, said his office was against the idea.<\/p>\n
\"Kopaja will certainly reject the idea. It will only cause us
\nmore losses. Even the fare increase rise from Rp 400 to Rp 600
\nper passenger made two weeks ago has not come close to
\ncompensating for the rise in the price of spare parts,\" he told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Mochtar, however, said that his office might agree to the move
\non certain conditions.<\/p>\n
\"We'll only agree to a reduction in bus fares to their
\nprevious level of Rp 400 if the student fare is increased to Rp
\n300 from its current level of Rp 100,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, a member of staff at the Steady Safe bus company,
\nSuharno, said yesterday that the company was against the idea
\nbecause it would only cause more problems.<\/p>\n
\"I think we'll go against it. We need a tariff which can help
\nus to cover maintenance costs. It's hard to go along with the
\ncurrent tariff,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We have to deal with the change of status and tariff for non-
\nair conditioned Patas buses into regular ones, not to mention the
\nlosses we are currently running,\" he added.<\/p>\n
City Hall spokesman Kamaludin Santos confirmed Sutiyoso's plan
\nto cut bus and taxi tariffs yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"The tariffs are likely to be adjusted in line with price cuts
\nfor premium gasoline and automotive diesel fuel,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"The governor is now waiting for the city branch of the
\nAssociation of Public Transportation Owners (Organda) to give its
\nverdict on the matter,\" Kamaludin said.<\/p>\n
The central government announced the cut in the price of fuels
\non Friday. Premium gasoline was cut to Rp 1,000 per liter from Rp
\n1,200, automotive diesel to Rp 550 from Rp 600, and kerosene to
\nRp 280 from Rp 350.<\/p>\n
On May 5 the government raised prices for the three types of
\nfuel to Rp 1,200 per liter from Rp 700 for premium gasoline, to
\nRp 600 from only Rp 380 for diesel, and to Rp 350 from Rp 280 for
\nkerosene.<\/p>\n
Organda's chairman Aip Sjarifuddin said he was still
\ndiscussing the matter with the organization's members.<\/p>\n
He said the organization would only agree to a 5 percent cut
\nin tariffs from their existing levels.<\/p>\n
Mochtar strongly emphasized that a cut in bus tariffs would
\nonly result in the death of public transport.<\/p>\n
\"If an agreement is reached on tariff reduction, we predict
\nthat only 10 percent of our fleet will be operational by the end
\nof this month,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the total Kopaja fleet numbered around 1,500 units and
\nserved at least 36 routes.<\/p>\n
\"Up until now, 40 percent of our fleet have remained
\noperational,\" Mochtar said, adding that each bus needed around Rp
\n93,000 for fuel and maintenance every day.<\/p>\n
According to Suharno, the number of regular Steady Safe buses
\nin operation has also declined.<\/p>\n
\"The prime reason is the 300 percent increase in the price of
\nspare parts and the impact of last week's riots in town,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Suharno said around 85 of the 175 regular buses had begun
\noperating again on 18 routes since the rioting died down.<\/p>\n
Separately, city councilor Lukman Mokoginta said yesterday
\nthat he supported Sutiyoso's plan to reduce bus tariffs.<\/p>\n
But he strongly rejected Mochtar's idea of raising the student
\nfare in compensation.<\/p>\n
\"No way. I will never agree to that kind of idea,\" Lukman, who
\nchairs the Indonesian Democratic Party faction in the council,
\nsaid. (cst)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/plan-to-cut-public-transportation-tariffs-opposed-by-bus-owners-1447893297",
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