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.