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)