Soaring prices hit transportation sector<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of public transportation vehicles have
\nstopped operating due to soaring prices of automobile spare parts
\nresulting from the economic crisis.<\/p>\n
Antara reported from Medan in North Sumatra on Saturday that
\n40 percent of 12,000 buses and minibuses had stopped operating
\nbecause owners could not afford to buy replacement parts. A
\nsimilar situation has been reported in Bandung, West Java, while
\ndrivers went on strike in Semarang, Central Java.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta and surrounding areas, some public
\ntransportation drivers have been on strike since last Wednesday,
\ndisrupting many people's routines.<\/p>\n
\"The increase of auto parts' prices by up to 400 percent has
\ncaused many public transportation owners to ground their
\nvehicles,\" said Eddy Rangkuti, spokesman of the Organization of
\nLand Transportation Owners in North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Rangkuti was quoted by Antara as saying in Medan that the
\nprice of a Mercedes bus tire, for instance, had increased from Rp
\n580,000 (approximately US$58 at current rate) to Rp 1.2 million.<\/p>\n
Rangkuti feared that if spare parts' prices continued to soar
\nin the next three months, almost all public transportation
\nvehicles would stop operations.<\/p>\n
\"What I regret is that the situation has not only brought
\ntransportation companies to the brink of bankruptcy, but will
\nalso bring difficulties to many people and students who need
\ntransportation,\" Rangkuti said.<\/p>\n
Rangkuti called on the government to help control the
\nskyrocketing prices of auto parts.<\/p>\n
But, he said, the most important thing was to abolish various
\nofficial and unofficial levies on public transportation.<\/p>\n
Rangkuti said the levies -- ranging from Rp 2,000 to Rp 4,000
\ndaily per vehicle and which were collected either by government
\nofficials or hoodlums -- were a burden to both drivers and
\ntransportation owners.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, Central Java, thousands of commuters were
\nstranded in the Terboyo main bus terminal as some 200 bus drivers
\nwent on strike Friday over soaring prices of auto parts.<\/p>\n
Ten military trucks and 10 buses were deployed by local
\nauthorities to transport passengers. (byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soaring-prices-hit-transportation-sector-1447893297",
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