Bus, van drivers demand higher fares

Bus, van drivers demand higher fares

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Thousands of public transportation drivers in several cities continued their strikes on Tuesday, leaving passengers stranded as local governments debated whether to raise fares as the drivers are demanding following the fuel price increases.

In Pekanbaru, public transportation drivers marched to the city council building on Tuesday to demand that any fare increase also include student fares.

In a meeting with council speaker HM Teguh Pribadi Arsyad, the drivers also demanded that the special student fare -- currently Rp 1,000, compared to a regular fare of Rp 2,000 -- only be valid on school days.

The drivers also want the special fare to apply only to students wearing school uniforms, or in the case of university students to those who can produce their student ID cards.

Teguh said he would consult on the matter with the officials in charge of setting public transportation fares.

"The demands are very technical so we have to coordinate with other offices, but I think it is only fair for the drivers to ensure that people claiming the student fare really are students," he said.

In Jayapura, the strike continued for a second day but on a much smaller scale than the action on Monday that virtually brought the city to a halt. On Tuesday, only those drivers on the Jayapura-Abepura route refused to pick up passengers.

The drivers are protesting the new fares set by the city administration, which they say are not in line with the higher fuel prices. The city raised bus fares to Rp 2,100 from Rp 1,800, while the drivers are demanding a fare of Rp 2,500.

The strike by bus drivers has been a boon for motorcycle taxi drivers, who are charging up to Rp 30,000 per trip from the usual Rp 10,000.

In Batang, Central Java, Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, and Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, the local governments have still not made a decision on whether to raise public transportation fares.

"The new fuel prices have increased the operational costs of public transportation companies. The provincial administration should immediately set new public transportation fares," said Southeast Sulawesi provincial council member Ryha Madi.

He expressed fear that failure to make an immediate decision on the matter would lead to conflicts between drivers, some of whom have raised fares on their own, and passengers.

West Nusa Tenggara council deputy chairman, Muhammad, said people could not blame drivers for increasing the fares on their own.

"We cannot blame the drivers, or vendors, for adjusting their prices," he said, adding that the administration should immediately set new fares.