Busway project's frontliners feel neglected
Busway project's frontliners feel neglected
Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
As the drivers for the soon to be opened busway undergo a week-
long training course at the National Police Traffic Training
Center in Serpong, Tangerang, they remain anxious about what the
future holds for them and this daring new project.
Taking a break outside the dining hall of the training center
with fellow bus drivers, Taswar D. expressed his concerns when
talking to The Jakarta Post on Friday.
"As the future field personnel for this project, we just ask
that whoever is managing this project pay more attention to our
needs during the training," he said.
Since the start of the training on Thursday, the drivers have
not received any allowances. From their previous experiences of
being sent by their companies for training at the center, the
drivers received daily allowances, as well as meals and
accommodation.
"When we asked the Jakarta Transportation Agency about it,
they told us to ask our companies. But when we asked our
companies, they told us to ask the agency," said Taswar.
"It's not that we're just being fussy, but we still have to
feed our wives and children at home during our training," he
said.
Taswar is a bus driver for Steady Safe. He operates out of the
pool at Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, and usually plies a route
that overlaps with the planned busway corridor from Blok M in
South Jakarta to Kota in West Jakarta.
Besides Steady Safe, four other transportation companies --
Ratax, Bianglala, PPD and Pahala Kencana -- have formed a
consortium for the management of the project.
The consortium, PT Jakarta Express Trans (JET), officially
opened only on Thursday, which could explain the administrative
confusion and uncertainty.
Despite the uncertainty they are facing during their training,
the drivers still have faith in the busway project.
"As a busway driver, I'm hoping to earn more money and to be
free from the usual rush-and-chase each day trying to meet my
daily revenue target," said Susanto, a PPD driver.
Regular bus drivers usually have to meet a daily revenue
target set by their companies. This target often forces drivers
to drive recklessly as they try and collect as many passengers as
possible.
Busway drivers will not be required to fulfill a daily revenue
target, and the consortium will pay drivers a regular monthly
salary. Tempo magazine reported that each driver would be paid Rp
2 million (US$235) a month.
Puput Saripudin, a Steady Safe bus driver who received the
city's best bus driver award in 2003, has other ambitions.
"I want to show the public that we bus drivers can be
professional and provide prime service to our passengers," he
said.
During the second day of training on Friday, the drivers were
drilled on how to properly and smoothly navigate the busway buses
around the training center and some nearby housing complexes.