46 bus firms found jacking up fares

46 bus firms found jacking up fares

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Communications Giri Suseno said on
Sunday 46 bus companies violated the fixed 35 percent increase in
Idul Fitri fares in the five days after the post-Ramadhan fasting
month holiday.

"We will coordinate these findings with the Directorate
General of Land Transportation to take firm action to those
violators, by revoking their bus permits," the minister said in a
visit to the Gilimanuk-Ketapang crossing point, about 70
kilometers west of Denpasar, Bali.

He urged passengers to report jacked-up prices to bus terminal
officials, Antara reported.

Passenger safety had been maintained, he said, due to fine
coordination between security forces, the ministry's personnel
and other parties.

"Police and members of the Armed Forces are continuing to
watch over journeys to assure people's safety. As for sea trips,
we are placing one marine on each ship.'

Giri said traffic accidents declined 67 percent in the five
days after Idul Fitri compared to the same period last year. Idul
Fitri, marked by a huge exodus of people from major cities to
provincial hometowns, fell last Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Sunday, at a teenager died and another was injured when
they fell from the roof of a train car in Bandung, West Java.

Beni, 17, of Cijalu Cikampek village reportedly hit his head
when the train passed under a bridge in Pasir Kaliki, Bandung.
His friend Johny, 13, also sustained head injuries.

As of Sunday, it was reported that 17,390 people traveled
along the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing point, a drop of 15 percent
from 19,507 last year.

There was an increase in private cars, shown with a 5 percent
jump in the number of four-wheeled vehicles.

In Purwokerto, Central Java, as of Sunday a total of 24,459
people had left by train to Jakarta.

According to the head of the state railway company here,
Masduki Ahmad, the number far surpassed the 20,120 last year.
Most were economy class passengers.

Up to Sunday afternoon, 29 people underwent treatment at the
medical post at Purwokerto's train station.

Three were injured after being jammed in train doors, one fell
out of a packed car and two were hit by stones thrown at the
Gombong train-crossing.

"Thank God everybody lived. We were able to take care of the
injured ones," Masduki said. (edt/45/43)