City refuses to take action against erring bus firms
City refuses to take action against erring bus firms
JAKARTA (JP): The city land transportation control agency has
refused to take measures against companies which refuse to
operate part of their fleets at night.
The deputy head of the agency, Irzal Djamal, said yesterday
that his office was not planning any punishment for the
companies, as it could still tolerate the companies' reluctance
to operate their vehicles at night.
Last year, the city administration appealed to the
transportation companies, state-owned PPD, Mayasari Bakti, Metro
Mini and Kopaja, to operate 20 percent of their vehicles for
night transportation.
The appeal was made to help those working night shifts with
safe and authorized transportation.
The company's response was satisfactory only in the initial
weeks.
In a recent meeting between the companies and the agency, the
companies' officials said they would operate their fleets at
night as agreed, Irzal said. "We're giving them another chance,"
he said.
He added that the companies had agreed to ply the 22 routes
required by the city administration such as Pulogadung-Harapan
Baru, Pulogadung-Tanah Tinggi, Kampung Rambutan-Bekasi and
Kampung Rambutan-Grogol.
He said that the agency had not given the companies a
deadline, meaning that permits will not be given to other
company.
So far one transportation cooperative Koperasi Wahana Kalpika,
which operates 12-seat vans, has applied for a permit to operate
at night.
In practice the cooperative's vehicles have been roaming about
the city streets at night for months, and no punishment has been
given to them for operating without permit.
According to an evaluation conducted by the agency, the
transportation companies are reluctant to run their fleets at
night because the income does not cover operation costs.
The companies' officials said that night operation cost was
higher than daylight operation.
Irzal said yesterday that in the meeting the companies
proposed the increase in fares to Rp 1,000 per person to cover
the operation cost. The current fares range from Rp 300 to Rp 550
per person.
"The agency is still reviewing this proposal; we cannot make
an abrupt decision," he said.
Asked about the appropriate fares, Irzal said that the fares
at night should be affordable to the passengers.
Before the compulsory operation of night transportation, the
streets at night were dominated by privately owned vans or
trucks. (yns)