Buses with New Model Route system
Buses with New Model Route system
From Neraca
I commend the PPD city bus company's introduction of its New Model Route (RMB) on its Patas AC buses. It has been found to be effective in discouraging drivers to fill their buses with too many passengers and to drive recklessly in the city's traffic.
The drivers of the ordinary buses usually have to earn as much money as they can in order to pay the daily rental fee. That is why these drivers race around picking up as many passengers as possible.
The maintenance cost under this system is much less because the drivers do not over work their buses.
Newspaper and TV reports often say that the company is suffering a great operational loss. However, this does not make sense to me because a great number of people still badly need its service. I never see any of its buses empty. I am sure the company must have made a profit.
I would like to voice my support for the new system, but I believe this system still needs some improvements.
For example, many people still say that the method of paying the fare is not practical because not all the passengers have the exact change of Rp 1,300. It would be better to compel the passengers to buy tickets or special coins instead of inserting the cash directly into the box.
There are several advantages to this idea. First, the passengers will not bother other people for small change and second, it will prevent the drivers from pocketing the cash.
INDRIYATNO
Jakarta