Bus owners threaten strike for fare hike

JAKARTA (JP): A group of some 160 bus owners, drivers and conductors gathered at City Hall on Monday to demand Governor Sutiyoso immediately raise bus fares in the capital.

Arriving in 37 buses and minibuses from a number of bus companies, including Metro Mini, Kopaja, Himpurna, Mayasari Bhakti, ARH, Agung Bakti, Koantas Bima, Hiba and Pahala Kencana, the group repeated the threat of a massive strike if the governor failed to raise fares.

"We will go on strike next week if Governor Sutiyoso does not increase the fares," the head of the Kopaja minibus cooperative, Putu Wirta Antara, said during the noisy but peaceful protest.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Wirta said bus owners would suffer billions of rupiah in losses if Sutiyoso failed to issue a gubernatorial decree increasing bus fares before the next General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly in November.

He said bus owners were currently being battered by financial losses. "We will suffer billions (in losses) if we have to wait until the general session."

Wirta said bus owners in the capital suffered losses of Rp 844 million per day with the present bus fares.

The protesters condemned Sutiyoso's decision late last month to delay the fare hike until the Assembly's General Session.

The 700-seat Assembly will convene in November to elect a new president and vice president and to endorse the five-year State Policy Guidelines.

The city administration earlier announced the Association of Public Land Transportation Owners, the City Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ) and the Indonesian Consumers Organization had reached an agreement on the framework for the fare hikes.

The proposal included an increase in regular bus fares from Rp 300 to Rp 500, and an increase from Rp 700 to Rp 900 for non- airconditioned and limited buses (PATAS).

The fare for minibuses were to be hiked to Rp 700 from Rp 500, and the fares for air-conditioned PATAS buses were scheduled to rise from Rp 2,300 to Rp 2,500. Also, the student fare for regular buses was to be doubled from the current Rp 100.

Wirta quoted a recent DLLAJ study as saying the "standard fare" for regular buses should be Rp 911 instead of the current Rp 500.

Deputy Governor for Development Affairs Budihardjo Sukmadi, who met with the protesters on Monday, said he "listened to the protesters' demands" and promised to convey them to the governor.

"We will take the matter to the newly elected council members since we need the council's approval. You therefore should be patient," the councilor told the protesters.

Councilor Saud Rahman from the United Development Party (PPP) said the last city council rejected the proposal to increase bus fares because they felt the move would not solve the problems facing the public transportation industry.

"We instead suggested the governor give subsidies (to bus companies), such as eradicating vehicle taxes and levies," Saud, a former member of Commission D for development affairs who was reelected to the new council, said on Monday.

"The governor is just bucking his responsibility (to settle the matter) to the new council," he said. (jun)