Sutiyoso ponders plan to scrap Patas buses<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso insisted on Tuesday that he
\nwould consider scrapping nonairconditioned express and limited
\nPatas buses for failure to give proper service to passengers.<\/p>\n
The governor, better known as Bang (brother) Yos, said that he
\nalso acknowledged the Patas buses' service was not any different
\nfrom regular ones which had a rate about 40 percent lower.<\/p>\n
\"We will stop the operation of the nonairconditioned buses if
\nthey do not realistically function according to the initial idea
\nof being an express with a limited number of passengers,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The governor said the city administration policy remained the
\nsame and that people should get adequate service based on the
\nmoney they spend.<\/p>\n
The capital currently has three categories for public buses:
\nregular, nonairconditioned Patas and air-conditioned Patas.<\/p>\n
They are run by state and privately-owned transportation
\ncompanies.<\/p>\n
Currently, fare for regular buses is set at Rp 300 per
\npassenger, Rp 700 for the nonairconditioned Patas and Rp 2,300
\nfor air-conditioned Patas.<\/p>\n
The administration recently proposed to hike rates for regular
\nbuses to Rp 500, nonairconditioned Patas to Rp 900, minibuses to
\nRp 700, and air-conditioned Patas to Rp 2,500.<\/p>\n
Based on the city administration's data for February this
\nyear, the number of regular buses on the streets totaled 1,106,
\nnonairconditioned Patas, 1,812, and air-conditioned Patas, 1,095.<\/p>\n
The public's complaints were mostly directed at the poor
\nattitude of drivers and conductors, who often spent several
\nminutes at one spot to wait for passengers.<\/p>\n
Another noted fact was many bus conductors tried to load as
\nmany passengers as they could, making the bus similar to packed
\nsardines in a can.<\/p>\n
On the planned bus rate hike, the governor said his
\nadministration had yet to make a final decision because there
\nwere too many factors which should be considered.<\/p>\n
When asked to comment on the fact that drivers themselves even
\nobjected to the plan since it would not benefit them, the
\ngovernor said that drivers should not think only about their own
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
\"They should also think about people in the transportation
\nbusiness and the entire society. The business could collapse if
\nthe rate is not increased,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In the past, Sutiyoso said that if the rate was not increased
\nhe was afraid that bus drivers would stage a strike and the
\nbusiness would collapse due to skyrocketing prices of spare parts
\namid the economic crisis.<\/p>\n
Scores of drivers of Metromini minibuses, however, staged a
\nprotest to city council on Monday, demanding that the
\nadministration stop the plan.<\/p>\n
They said the increase would only cause protests from
\npassengers while they would not be able to enjoy any benefits
\nfrom it because the rental fee of the vehicles would also be
\nhiked by the companies. (ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sutiyoso-ponders-plan-to-scrap-patas-buses-1447893297",
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