Bus tickets up 50 percent in Bogor

BOGOR: Several bus companies in Bogor have increased the cost of their tickets by more than 50 percent, in violation of a government decree mandating that bus fares during Lebaran and Christmas festivities stay at 12 percent.

On Wednesday, Antara reported that the bus company PO Limex sells its tickets for its Bogor-Yogyakarta route at Rp 110,000 -- up by almost 116 percent over the normal price of Rp 51,000.

Lorena, another bus company, sells its tickets for the Bogor- Pekanbaru route at a price of Rp 302,000, a 25 percent hike over the normal price of Rp 241,500.

Would-be passengers complained over the increase, but said they could do nothing about it.

"I have to pay Rp 302,000 for Bogor-Pekanbaru, although the normal price is only Rp 241,500," said Dodi Hasanuddin, a resident of Cimanggu, Bogor, who said wanted to visit his hometown Pekanbaru for Lebaran celebrations.

"But if I refused tp pay," he continued, "I cannot have the tickets to travel to my hometown."

Worse still, beyond the increase, many people also reported a scarcity of bus tickets in the city.

At the ticket counter of PO Mulyo Indah in Sukasari area, for example, the company made an announcement that tickets of Bogor- Yogya-Solo routes for Dec. 11 through Dec. 15 had been completely sold out.

Over at the Lorena counter, meantime, the tickets for Dec. 12 to 16 had been also sold out. --JP