City administration pledges to improve transportation service
City administration pledges to improve transportation service
JP/3/RAIS
City administration pledges to improve transportation service
JAKARTA (JP): The municipal administration has announced plans
to improve city transportation by use of bold measures.
"The planned measures include the changing of the interior
design of buses, aimed at accommodating more passengers," Deputy
Governor for Economy and Development Tb. M. Rais told reporters
Wednesday.
Another measure is reducing the number of seats in wide-bodied
buses as well as in minibuses such as Metromini, Kopaja and
Koantas Bima so that there is more room to accommodate standing
passengers, Rais said, adding that another option was to add to
the number of operating buses.
Rais said the city administration also plans to improve the
service of Patas buses -- which mean express buses serving only
limited routes -- as its name suggests by allowing them to stop
only at certain bus stops, not at all bus stops as they are now
doing.
"It is unfair if the service of Patas buses is the same as
that of regular buses because passengers of Patas buses pay
more," Rais said.
At present, the fare of Patas buses is Rp 550 while the fare
of regular buses is Rp 250.
Besides, Rais said the city administration was considering
allowing public transportation vehicles to operate on routes
which run against one-way lanes, which will help the buses avoid
traffic.
"We also plan to place notices on every city buses urging
their passengers to give seats to the elderly, pregnant women and
women with children who are standing," Rais said.
"Our goal is now focusing on increasing the quality rather
than quantity of public transportation means and their service."
Investors
On the occasion, Rais also said that the city administration
welcomes any companies or individuals who want to invest in
public transportation.
"In fact, we are looking for investors who are interested to
invest in a mass rapid transportation system," Rais said, adding
that mass rapid transport would be the ultimate solution to
Jakarta's chronic traffic jams.
When asked whether the business opportunity provided by the
city administration will only be used by big investors, Rais said
the city administration also gives opportunities to small
investors by providing them with subsidies, such as exempting
them from paying taxes.
"But for mass rapid transportation system, for instance, it is
clear that only big investors are able to invest," Rais said.
According to Rais, the city administration will select
applying investors in public transportation by considering not
only their financial abilities.
"We will certainly consider their professionalism and
experience in dealing with public transportation," Rais said,
adding that there probably won't be much interest since public
transport isn't lucrative.
Rais illustrated the problems by referring to the fact that
many state-owned transportation companies still require subsidies
after decades of service.
Besides, the present public transportation system is still
manpower-intensive, Rais said, adding that because of that, the
government is still bound to encourage small to middle privately-
run transportation companies, which absorb many workers, to
thrive.(06)