Busway feeder buses not yet ready
Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Around two weeks before the TransJakarta Busway is fully operational on Feb. 1, the feeder buses are still not ready.
The Jakarta Post observed on Monday at the Blok M bus terminal in South Jakarta that few buses had "feeder" stickers on their front and rear windows. Those displaying the stickers were the Mayasari Bhakti air-conditioned bus plying Tangerang-Blok M, the Mayasari Bhakti air-conditioned bus plying Bekasi-Blok M and the Metromini bus plying Ciledug-Blok M.
Apart from sporting the large, orange stickers, no improvements were observed in any of the buses. A Metromini Ciledug-Blok M feeder bus was perceived to be as shabby and smoke-emitting as ever.
Drivers and conductors of the buses also said they still did not know what operating a busway-feeder bus entailed, particularly in regards to ticketing. They said their companies had not yet informed them of possible changes.
"All I know is that passengers still have to pay the regular fee," said Edi, a conductor of the Tangerang-Blok M bus.
Initially, the City Transportation Agency had said that it would provide air-conditioned and comfortable buses for the busway's 16 chosen feeder-service routes.
However, the bus companies could not provide such buses and did not have the funds to refurbish their old buses. The agency then said that the operators' existing buses would be used.
The busway management also intends to alter ticket prices for the existing buses. Prices will be determined according to zoning and whether the bus is air-conditioned or not.
Bus passengers who usually take one bus from a terminal or shelter nearby their home to an area within the busway corridor -- like passengers of the Bianglala AC Ciputat-Kota bus -- spoke of inconveniences resulting from the new system . They said that besides a possible hike in their daily transportation fee, they would have to transfer to the busway at Blok M, whereas usually they stayed on one bus for the duration of their journey.