Strike leaves commuters stranded<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Hundreds of public minivan drivers went on strike on Friday,
\nleaving thousands of workers unable to get home at the end of the
\nworkday.<\/p>\n
The drivers, who began the action after Friday prayers,
\ndemanded the city administration increase public transportation
\nfares by an average of 15 percent following the government's
\ndecision to increase fuel prices by an average of 29 percent
\nbeginning March 1.<\/p>\n
\"I hope the administration will immediately adjust public
\ntransportation fares so our income will not drop,\" said Parlan,
\n35, who drives a minivan between Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta,
\nand Meruya, West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He said that before the fuel price hike, he could take home at
\nleast Rp 50,000 (US$5.56) a day, but his income had dropped by
\nnearly 50 percent since the price increases.<\/p>\n
Jermal, 30, a driver on a minivan on the route between Kampung
\nMelayu, East Jakarta, and Pondok Gede, Bekasi, also complained
\nabout a drop in income since the fuel hike policy.<\/p>\n
He said that some days he did not take home any money because
\nthe higher fuel prices meant he had to pay as much as Rp 35,000
\nmore for fuel.<\/p>\n
Minivan drivers on routes in South Jakarta, West Jakarta, East
\nJakarta and Bekasi took part in Friday's action.<\/p>\n
The drivers are demanding that fares be increase from Rp 1,800
\nto Rp 2,400.<\/p>\n
Some public buses and minivans on different routes in the city
\nunilaterally increased their fares by 10 percent to 15 percent
\nfollowing the fuel price hike.<\/p>\n
Commuters trying to get to Meruya, Kebayoran Lama and the
\nsurrounding areas were left stranded by the strike.<\/p>\n
\"I did not know that they would go on strike. I took minivan
\nNo. 11 (serving Tanah Abang-Meruya) this morning,\" said Yani, 23,
\nwho works in an office on Jl. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta. She
\nended up going home on an ojek motorcycle taxi.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of ojek gathered at traffic intersections and other
\npublic areas to ferry stranded commuters home.<\/p>\n
For a trip from Slipi to Maruya, the average price of an ojek
\nwas Rp 20,000, much higher than the Rp 2,000 for a minivan.<\/p>\n
City Transportation Agency head Rustam Effendy Sidabutar said
\nearlier this week that his office had made preparations in the
\nevent that public transportation drivers went on strike.<\/p>\n
He said 111 military trucks and buses and 250 buses owned by
\nthe city administration were ready to be deployed in the event of
\nany.<\/p>\n
But none of these vehicles were deployed on Friday. Many
\npeople ended up walking home from the office, while others were
\nforced to spend more money for an ojek.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Jakarta branch of the Organization of Land
\nTransportation Owners, Herry Rotty, declined to comment on the
\nstrike, saying he had no information on the matter.<\/p>\n
\"I will ask for information about the strike from other
\nOrganda members,\" he told the Post.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/strike-leaves-commuters-stranded-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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