Ciliwung raft keeps the poor afloat

By Muninggar Sri Sarasvati

JAKARTA (JP): Most people here do not consider rivers as part of the transportation infrastructure despite the fact that 13 rivers flow through the city.

Some people, however, rely heavily on them.

Sumardi, also known as May, is one of dozens of people operating the service at many crossings on the city's rivers.

He owns a raft that ferries people across the Ciliwung river near the Manggarai area in South Jakarta.

Unlike other rafts, his is made of wood and does not necessarily need oars or an engine. Instead, the raft travels from one side to the other by pulling on the rope that hangs above and which is tied across the river, reaching up to 50 meters.

May's father, Sanan, began operating the ferry service in 1965.

"When he passed away in 1987, I had to take over as that was my father's will," he told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

May said the raft had to be repaired once every three years. His current raft was made two years ago at a cost of Rp 4 million (US$471). He asked two raft builders in Kota area, North Jakarta, to make it.

"Business is still good," he told the Post, adding that his daily earnings range from Rp 60,000 to Rp 80,000.

May gives Rp 30,000 to his mother while the rest is divided between him and his workers. Usually, he earns between Rp 15,000 and Rp 20,000. "That's enough to support my family," he said.

Currently, May employs five people to help him operate the raft. He treats them well but he cannot afford to pay them much. Their wages range from Rp 3,000 to Rp 10,000 a day.

They work in two shifts. A group of three people, including himself, operates it from 5:30 a.m. to midday, while the other runs the service from 12 a.m. to 9:30 p.m..

One worker, Markus, has been pulling the raft across the river for more than 18 years. May also employs two handicapped workers. One is deaf, while the other has Down's syndrome.

"Their parents would be offended if I only gave them money. So I employ them," he said, adding that both of them were diligent and did not disrupt business.

He operates the ferry service almost every day during the year, unless the river is hit by floods, which happens sometimes during the rainy season from August to December.

Markus said that it was not easy to pull the raft across since it required a particular skill.

"It doesn't require brute strength. It only needs an ability to steer a course across the stream," he told the Post, adding that new workers usually lose control and let the raft drift away, or even capsize.

"If that happens then it could be just awful for passengers as the river is very dirty and full of garbage," he noted.

He said that to avoid this kind of mishap, May orders his workers to take only 10 passengers on one trip, as that is the raft's capacity.

May said that hundreds of people use his raft to cross the river from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Most are workers, students and housewives who live in the neighborhood. The daily peak hours are between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m in the morning, and between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the afternoon.

Each passenger pays Rp 200 one way, unless they are a student, and then they are required to pay Rp 100. However, it is common that some students refuse to pay.

"I don't mind if they don't pay. Let's say it's for charity," he remarked, laughing.

May said that on Saturday night he could get more passengers up until 10 p.m. since a lot of people went out to enjoy their weekend.

One passenger, Budi, said that he always took the raft as it made his journey from his house to the main road shorter and cheaper. "If I take the raft, I don't have to walk the 750 meters to the main road," he said.

Another passenger, Minah, noted that the raft was the cheapest transportation in town.

She said she had to pay about Rp 1,000 from the main road to her house in Menteng Tengguling village near the river if she took an ojek (motorbike taxi).

"But the raft only costs Rp 200 one way. It is very useful. And it has become part of our life," she said.