'Bus fare hikes will hit low-income people hard'

'Bus fare hikes will hit low-income people hard'

The proposal by the city's Land Transportation Owners'
Association (Organda) to increase bus fares has met with strong
public resistance as it would further raise the cost of living
amid the country's ongoing crisis. The city administration
postponed announcing the fare hike earlier this week, but it is
likely that it will be announced in the near future. The Jakarta
Post asked some residents about the issue.

Iwan, 38, a driver of a minibus plying the Blok M, South
Jakarta, to Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, route. He has been a
driver for almost 20 years. He lives in Parung, West Java, with
his wife and two children:

I really disagree with the Organda proposal to increase bus
fares. I hope the city administration will not only postpone it,
but reject it entirely.

If it goes through, it will be hard for me as a driver as the
bus operators and owners will raise their daily rental fees. The
current rental of Rp 250,000 is already too much for me. How can
I afford another increase?

It would certainly eat into my daily earnings. Now I only earn
about Rp 50,000 a day after working the whole day long.

Usually, the bus operators and owners don't want to know about
our real situation. They would only tell us to resign if we try
to protest as there are so many unemployed out there who would do
anything for a job.

If the plan goes ahead, it will put me in a real difficult
situation.

Harsono, 40, a sidewalk vendor selling fresh vegetables in
Cengkareng, West Jakarta. He resides in Rawa Buaya, West Jakarta,
with his wife and three children:

I think the proposal to raise bus fares will only damage my
business.

Almost all of us vendors here use public transportation to
bring our wares from the central Kramat Jati Market in East
Jakarta every night.

Despite the fact that I don't use public buses every day, a
bus fare hike will influence transportation costs in general.

I have to put aside more or less Rp 25,000 to bring my goods
here from East Jakarta. So, it would increase my daily transport
costs.

An increase would also lead to a rise in the price of
vegetables. Otherwise, we would suffer big losses.

On the other hand, I realize that it won't be easy for me to
increase the prices of my vegetables. We have loyal customers and
they would complain about any further price increases.

So you see, we will be in a dilemma, whether to raise prices
and lose customers, or to keep our customers by not increasing
our prices, in which case our takings will drop.

Robert, an office employee who resides in South Jakarta with
his family. He works in South Jakarta:

I totally disagree with the proposal. The transportation
system is never improved, so why we should agree to fare
increases.

The non-air conditioned buses are usually clapped-out. And
it's so uncomfortable with broken seats and leaking roofs on the
regular buses, particularly in the wet season like now.

I don't think a fare hike will improve the safety and comfort
of passengers.

I don't believe the maintenance of the buses is foremost in
the minds of the bus operators as we never see the old buses
being repaired.

The new fare hike will only worsen the economic difficulties
of low-income people who use public transportation daily.Leo
Wahyudi S