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)