City approves Rp 1,800 as new fare of AC bus

JAKARTA (JP): The fare on air-conditioned Patas (express) buses increased on Saturday from Rp 1,300 to Rp 1,800 (78 US cents) after the city administration gave its approval. The City Council however criticized the policy, saying the approval is only verbal made and thus unofficial.

The fare for AC Patas buses increased without official announcement by either the administration or the land transport owners organization (Organda).

Sahala Sinaga, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party faction of the City Council said yesterday he regretted the increase, which was approved by the city administration without official (written) notification to the council.

"It is not proper for the administration to give such a non- formal nod in such a case. The public should have been informed about the increase in the bus fares through official announcements," Sahala said.

Sahala said the city administration should order Organda to cancel the new fare as soon as possible and start the whole process all over again.

"I urge the city administration to stop the practice in order to publicize the raise to the public," he said.

Sahala warned the city administration that such practices could encourage owners of other types of public transportation to arbitrarily raise their fares.

Organda has been trying to increase the fare of AC buses since the government raised the fares of other public transportation in April.

The head of Organda, Aip Sjarifudin, said yesterday that Governor Surjadi Soedirdja has already approved the new fare be implemented on May 25.

Aip said the association originally proposed a new fare of Rp 2,000 per person, but the governor rejected the idea.

He said that law No. 14/1992 on traffic stipulates that the fare of AC buses is determined by the owners and approved by the city administration.

"The AC bus fare is not decided by the minister of transportation, therefore it is not included in the new fares of public transportation regulated by the ministerial decree," he said.

He admitted that many passengers were shocked at the new fare but Aip refused to explain why either the association or the city administration did not announce the new fare before May 25.

Some passengers said yesterday the new fare was too high for them.

"I think Rp 1,800 is too high for us. Maybe, Rp 1,500 is enough," Lilis, a housewife, told The Jakarta Post in a Mastranss AC bus plying the Senen-Lebak Bulus route yesterday.

She said she chose an AC bus for safety and comfort reasons. "The old fare was actually high enough, but we have no power to oppose the administration's decision," she said.

Elly, a college student, said even the old fare was too high for students like her. (yns/jun)