Airport takes over taxi service

Airport takes over taxi service

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

In response to complaints over illegal fees and robberies in
taxis leaving the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, airport
operator PT Angkasa Pura II has introduced a new transportation
system.

The new system integrates the management of airport taxis and
bus services which initially was managed by an airport task
force, Angkasa Pura II president director Edie Haryoto said on
Friday.

"The new system is aimed at providing security, safety and
comfort for all airport visitors," he said at the launch of the
new service at Terminal IID.

The integrated service, according to Edie, will enable the
airport operator to take stern actions against unscrupulous taxi
companies or drivers.

Only 13 taxi companies who passed a selection test for
reliability held by the airport operator were allowed to wait and
take passengers out of the airport beginning Friday.

The 13 taxi companies are Blue Bird Group, Taxi Cab, Express,
Primajasa, Tiffani, Koperasi Taksi, Gading, Steady Safe, Sri
Medali, Ratax, Dian, Royal City and Gamya. The total number of
the taxis are 1,530.

Head of the public transportation division at the Ministry of
Transportation, Sugihardjo, explained that the operator had
stopped the operation of Prestasi Taxi at the airport, "in order
for it to improve its performance".

Passengers can now take the taxi of their choice from among
the taxis parked in groups at each terminal.

In the old system, airport officers would require passengers
to take the first taxi available in the queue, prompting taxi
drivers to bribe them to get first in line. The drivers also
passed the charge on to the passengers.

"But there will be no more illegal fees because we will also
raise the airport officers' salary from Rp 300,000 (US$33.3) to
Rp 1 million," Edie said.

The service of the airport shuttle bus has also been improved,
allowing passengers to buy tickets at counters outside the
terminal lobbies.

Angkasa Pura has also issued identity cards for taxi and bus
drivers as well as complaint cards.

"Only the most reliable and comfortable taxis will survive ...
There will be an independent team to evaluate the performance of
the taxis," Sugihardjo said.

The evaluation team, he said, will include the Indonesian
Consumers Foundation (YLKI).

Besides filling in the complaint card, taxi and bus passengers
can send their complaints via SMS to 081315908248.