Bus fare hikes 'should take public into account'

Bus fare hikes 'should take public into account'

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso said on Tuesday that the
increase in fares of air-conditioned buses should account for
their service and be in line with the recent fuel price hike so
as to avoid burdening society.

The governor said that his administration would first study
the proposal of the air-conditioned bus fare hike.

"The increase should be commensurate with the service provided
by the buses and more importantly, it must not be too costly for
the public to bear," he said.

He disclosed that many of the buses had so far provided
inadequate service.

"I've been informed that the air-conditioning on many of the
buses no longer functions properly. In this case, they are not
entitled to raise their fares," he said.

The fare increase proposal submitted by the Organization of
Land Transportation Owners (Organda) was based on a unilateral
decision, which lacked in psychological and social
considerations, he said.

Sutiyoso also maintained that despite the market mechanism
controlling the bus fares, Organda should have consulted
Jakarta's executive and legislative institutions.

The government has rejected the proposed bus fare hike of Rp
3,500 per passenger from Rp 2,500. An appropriate increase, said
the governor, would be between Rp 3,000 and Rp 3,100.

The chairman of the Jakarta chapter of Organda, Aip
Syarifuddin, said it had proposed a maximum increase of 40
percent or Rp 1,000, even though city bus operators had urged the
organization to apply a rate of Rp 4,135.

Even though there has yet to be a final decision on the hike,
some bus operators have gone ahead with the fare increase.

A resident of Bumi Serpong Damai housing complex in Tangerang
said that as of Aug. 1, the fare of air-conditioned buses running
from Serpong to Blok M had increased to Rp 3,000.

"But passengers have to pay Rp 200 more because the bus goes
along the toll road," he told The Jakarta Post.

Meanwhile, a driver of an air-conditioned bus plying the
Depok-Kota route, Sutoyo, reacted with surprise when the Post
asked him about the bus fare issue.

"I haven't heard about it," he remarked.

He said he was worried about a possible decrease in passengers
following the fare hike as people might prefer taking regular
buses instead.

Beni Patria, a passenger on an air-conditioned bus, said he
objected to the fare rise because most of the buses were in poor
condition.

He pointed out that some buses had air conditioners that
failed to work and that a number of passengers were forced to
stand.

Separately, a commuter from Bekasi, Farhan Mulyana, said that
if the bus fare hike went into effect it would cause problems as
he had to take two buses to reach his office in the Kota area.

"I don't think I would take an air-conditioned bus to work
then," he said, adding that he was taking air-conditioned buses
because he needed a comfortable trip from Bekasi to Kota. He said
if the bus fare was increased, he would take a regular bus
instead, despite its poor condition.

"The passengers on regular buses look like sardines packed in
a tin, but I have no other choice," he said, referring to the
overcrowded condition of non-air-conditioned buses. (arp/04)