Bus drivers shake off old and dirty image

Bus drivers shake off old and dirty image

By Imran Rusli

JAKARTA (JP): "They sure make my heart beat faster," says
Bonita, a student of a South Jakarta university.

No, she is not talking about Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone,
Tom Cruise or Richard Gere. She is referring to Jakarta's bus
drivers, the one with shiny shoes, neatly pressed shirts and
ties.

Gone is the old, unruly and smelly image of the city's bus
drivers. In their place are courteous and self-confident men who
not only please the eye but also boost passengers' self-esteem.
It is as if passengers are no longer simply a bunch of nobodies.
They are respected and treated likewise.

Only last year Jakarta's bus drivers were considered dirty and
having little discipline. The old impression has not totally
disappeared. Many still look dirty, smell and are rude. However,
changes are on the way and 387 new air-conditioned buses
operating in the city are now manned by tie-wearing drivers. They
are expected to enhance the image of their companies which
together provide 1,622 non-air-conditioned buses and 16,091
regular buses.

The drivers wear shiny leather shoes, black striped smooth
casual trousers, light-colored long-sleeve shirts and dark-
colored ties. They sometimes put on dark glasses. Good-looking,
stylish and self-confident is the resulting image.

The conductors are equally well dressed. They are courteous,
smile readily but show firmness when collecting the fares. They
come quickly to the rescue when a passenger does not know how to
adjust the air conditioner above his or her seat.

"On this Bianglala air-conditioned bus I have never been
treated rudely as on other buses with inferior service. The
conductors also wear freshly laundered uniforms," says Diana, a
cosmetics assistant at Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta.

Diana lives in Pamulang and has been riding the air-
conditioned bus since January. Having no other alternative for
her transportation, she previously took crowded non-air-
conditioned buses. The fare was about three times lower but the
buses were far from comfortable. She could never get a seat,
could hardly move once she was crammed among other standing
passengers, some of whom pinched her at times. She arrived at her
workplace with her dress crumpled, her makeup running and her
hair in disarray. She thinks the Rp1,300 fare for air-conditioned
buses is worth the service. Formerly she paid between Rp 300 and
Rp 550 for her arduous and stifling daily trip.

The motive behind Bianglala's air-conditioned buses and smart
is to establish a good reputation for both the company and the
drivers. Rusdi, 38, a father of two, used to work for a minibus
transport company. He is satisfied with his new job, saying
working for his former company was stressful due to the workload,
the overheating of the old engine, the small space around the
driver's seat, the behavior of passengers and conductors and the
Rp 90,000 daily rent. He says, "Now there are few pressures,
everything runs smoothly and I feel more appreciated."

Other operators driving Steady Safe and PPD air-conditioned
buses have similar experiences. Umar on the Blok M-Pulogadung
line says his company, the state-owned PPD, has made a
significant breakthrough although that means he has to bring in a
compulsory daily payment of Rp 180,000 in order to earn Rp
400,000 a month. He says, "Passengers appreciate well-dressed
drivers. We perform better in a comfortable and clean bus."

Installments

The drivers say the uniforms are provided by the companies but
must be paid for. They receive three or four changes of uniform,
shoes and ties every six months. Payment can be made in
installments. A package costs between Rp 80,000 and Rp 100,000.
With a monthly income of Rp 500,000 Rusdi says he has no
objection to the terms of payment for the uniform. "This uniform
gives me self-confidence. My children are not ashamed to welcome
their father who looks smart like a pilot." He believes the
working conditions enable him to remain active for 10 to 12 hours
a day, six days a week.

Rusdi's conductor, Sulfan, 23, says he is happy although he
has to get up at dawn every day and iron his uniform for fear of
getting fired. "Besides, the bus has a tape recorder playing my
favorite dangdut songs. I am not forced to hear the ugly songs of
those street singers who do not feel comfortable in air-
conditioned buses." He also appreciates the fact that he has no
problem anymore in collecting passenger fees and that hardly any
passengers remain standing.

Envious

Drivers of ordinary buses are sometimes envious of those in
air-conditioned buses. "They are comfortable. They are free from
the heat, especially in traffic jams. They are not haunted by
having to pay a daily fixed amount due to the commission or
salary system. When the vehicle breaks down or they have an
accident, the company takes care of it," complains a Metromini
driver. He has applied three times to join Steady Safe but has
been rejected because his appearance, skill and traffic knowledge
are inadequate.

Another driver, Burhan, says the requirements are hard to
meet. Being a driver of an air-conditioned bus does not only
requires driving skills. A good appearance is a must as is
knowing how to communicate with the police, the road transport
agency and hoodlums.

"In fact it is all rather complicated and tiring, but I
understand its purpose and I like it," says Rusdi.