Buses grounded for overcharging

JAKARTA: The city administration has stopped 13 city buses from operating for allegedly imposing higher fares.

"The move was taken based on public reports and the findings of our officers," said the newly installed head of the Jakarta Transportation Agency, Nurachman, on Sunday.

He said that the official fare of air-conditioned buses was Rp 3,500 (34 US cents), but some bus conductors on city buses asked passengers to pay Rp 4,000, particularly if the buses passed by toll roads.

City buses that had charged higher than the official fares included those that serve the Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta- Bekasi, West Java route, and Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta-Bekasi route, and Blok M, South Jakarta-Bekasi route.

Nurachman stressed that the administration did not allow city bus conductors to charge any additional money. --Antara