Bus owners pledge improved service in line with fare hike

JAKARTA (JP): While insisting that their proposal for a bus fare increase be accommodated, the Jakarta chapter of the Land Transportation Owners Association (Organda) vowed on Saturday to improve service for city residents in return for the hike.

"We can provide new buses every seven years if our proposal is endorsed, and new buses will provide more comfort for passengers," chairman of Organda's Jakarta chapter Aip Syarifuddin said in a media conference at his office on Jl. Kyai Maja in South Jakarta.

"We will also be able to pay our drivers and their assistants through a monthly salary payment system, instead of imposing a daily target on them," he added, citing the current payment system.

The condition of public transportation has been criticized for a long time, especially by residents.

Lack of financial sources have forced the owners to "cannibalize" their buses since the beginning of the monetary crisis in mid-1997 because of the skyrocketing prices of spare parts.

Most city buses are currently in bad condition. Only 60 percent are operational, while the rest are grounded and their parts have used to repair and maintain those buses still running.

The target system has also forced drivers to meet a projected daily quota, and they thus pay less attention to the safety of passengers.

"Our load factor is more than 140 percent, while it should be only 90 percent in order to provide better services to passengers," Aip said recently.

Organda's proposal was based on operational cost components for maintenance and spare parts, overheads, and fuel consumption. The new fare will be established through a formula that will include bus operational costs with a 10 percent additional margin.

The agency proposed that regular bus fare should be Rp 1,000 (13 U.S. cents) from Rp 300, minibuses Rp 1,200 from Rp 500, Patas buses Rp 1,550 from Rp 700, and Patas AC buses Rp 3,250 from Rp 2,300.

"It's also important to hike the student fare from Rp 100 to Rp 500. The student fare hasn't been increased since 1989," added Aip.

Commenting on the fuel subsidy, Aip suggested the government should transfer the subsidy directly to owners bank accounts rather than using fuel coupons.

"The fuel subsidy only covers 2 percent of our operational costs. The majority of our costs are generated by maintenance and spare parts," he said.

He also stated that Organda members would go on strike on April 10 unless their demands were met.

"We are not threatening the government, for we have given them more than enough time to consider our proposal," he said. (nvn)