Bus drivers go on strike in Palembang

Bus drivers go on strike in Palembang

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: Most passenger bus drivers in the South Sumatra capital of Palembang went on strike on Monday, leaving hundreds of city commuters and students stranded.

Drivers said they called the strike to demand an increase in transport fares following the rise in fuel prices announced last week.

Only a handful of buses were seen operating in the city, forcing hundreds of people to compete to get on the few available vehicles. It took most passengers hours to commute to their workplaces.

A number of the buses that did operate unilaterally increased their fares from Rp 700 to Rp 1,000 per passenger, without approval from local authorities.

"We are forced to adjust transport fares in line with the raised prices of gasoline and diesel fuel even though the local administration has yet to decide on increasing the fares," a bus driver said. --Antara