Pros and cons over non Jakarta-based taxis<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The decision adopted recently by the Land
\nTransportation Agency (DLLAJ) for its Jakarta chapter to prohibit
\nnon Jakarta-based taxis has received strong objections from
\nowners of Jakarta-based taxis.<\/p>\n
However, several taxi drivers are in favor of the decision.<\/p>\n
Contacted separately on Monday, chairman of the Land
\nTransportation Agency's Jakarta chapter, Aip Syarifudin, and an
\nexecutive of the Blue Bird taxi company, said the DLLAJ's
\ndecision was unfair.<\/p>\n
According to Aip, the DLLAJ had difficulty accepting the idea
\nto net taxis, who are licensed only to operate in Jakarta's
\noutskirts, such as Tangerang, Bogor, Depok and Bekasi but also
\ncarried passengers to the capital, since many Jakarta-based taxis
\nalso operated outside the capital's border.<\/p>\n
\"Everyday, there are some 3,000 Jakarta taxi drivers, who're
\nlining up for customers at the Soekarno-Hatta International
\nAirport (in Tangerang), which is administratively under the
\nsupervision of West Java authorities,\" Aip said.<\/p>\n
Like Tangerang, areas of Bogor, Depok and Bekasi are all
\nadministrated by the West Java government.<\/p>\n
DLLAJ Jakarta netted 32 taxis from non-Jakarta companies on
\nWednesday and Thursday last week during a street check.<\/p>\n
The agency's head, Buyung Atang, reportedly said that the
\nstreet check was conducted in accordance with the operation
\npermits issued by the West Java government that prohibited West
\nJava-based taxis to operate in the capital.<\/p>\n
Operational deputy director of the Blue Bird group, the
\nbiggest and most popular taxi company in the capital, Ateng
\nAryono, said that it's impossible to restrict taxis from outside
\nJakarta from entering the city.<\/p>\n
\"We all know that many people who work in the city live in
\nmany areas in Bogor, Bekasi, and Tangerang and they often use a
\ntaxi service as their mode of transportation,\" Ateng said.<\/p>\n
\"The government cannot apply the regulation they use for
\nangkot (public minivans) which only serve routes that are
\nespecially assigned for them,\" he added.<\/p>\n
\"Taxi service is a door-to-door service. They take passengers
\nto their final destination, wherever it is.\"<\/p>\n
According to Aip, there has been an unwritten commitment by
\nDLLAJ in 1996 which stated that taxis from Bogor, Tangerang,
\nDepok and Bekasi were free to operate in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"But many of the DLLAJ's administrators (who made the
\ncommitment) have already been replaced by other people,\" Aip
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Aip therefore suggested that the DLLAJ and taxi owners should
\nmeet again to discuss the matter.<\/p>\n
Ateng from Blue Bird said that he was not worried that the
\noperation of non-Jakarta taxi services would reduce his company's
\nearning.<\/p>\n
\"Besides we don't know yet whether the number of taxis
\noperating in the city is already sufficient,\" Ateng said.<\/p>\n
According to Aip, the capital is already home to some 21,500
\ntaxis from 30 companies, who have licenses to serve customers in
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
But taxi drivers have their own opinion about the DLLAJ's
\ndecision.<\/p>\n
\"I fully support the decision because the presence of taxis
\nfrom outside Jakarta such as Tiffany and Internusa have reduced
\nthe number of our passengers here,\" a Koperasi taxi driver who
\nrefused to be named said.<\/p>\n
A Prestasi taxi driver, Untung Sunarto, shared the idea, by
\nsaying that there were already too many taxis in the city.<\/p>\n
\"We can't afford to have taxis from outside here,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
No executives of Tiffany, Internusa and other non Jakarta-
\nbased taxi firms could be reached to comment. (jaw)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pros-and-cons-over-non-jakarta-based-taxis-1447893297",
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