Cirebon Mayor Lasmana meets drivers' demand for fare hike

Cirebon Mayor Lasmana meets drivers' demand for fare hike

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon

Cirebon Mayor Lasmana Suryaatmadja approved an increase in
minivan fares to Rp 1,300 for general passengers and to Rp 500
for students, from Rp 900 and Rp 400 previously, after hundreds
of drivers occupied his office and the municipal legislature
building in the West Java town of Cirebon on Tuesday.

Lasmana signaled his approval at a meeting with five drivers
representing the demonstrators at his office, in the presence of
several legislators from the local chapter of the National
Mandate Party (PAN) and the Crescent Star Party (PBB).

The demonstration almost turned violent when the mayor was
reported to be unavailable, as many demonstrators provoked others
to ransack his office.

The demonstration also caused a traffic jam in the city, which
connects West Java with Central and East Java in the northern
part of Java island. The highway is a main route for the supply
of basic commodities to the two provinces and to Bali.

The situation was back under control after Cirebon Police
deployed hundreds of riot police to the location and a number of
legislators met with the demonstrators.

The demonstrators said they supported the fares increase
proposed by the local office of the Association of Land
Transportation Owners (Organda) due to the recent fuel price
hikes.

"We don't want the cost of the fuel price hikes to be absorbed
by us as it will certainly affect our daily income," Agus
Tarmudji, coordinator of the demonstrators, said.

He explained that drivers had to pay an additional Rp 9,000
per day for fuel and an additional Rp 10,000 in daily rent to the
minivan owners.

The Land Transportation Agency local office proposed an
increase in the minivan fares after the government raised
the price of premium fuel to Rp 1750 per liter, from Rp 1,450 per
liter previously.