City to investigate disappearing buses

JAKARTA (JP): Deputy governor of economic and development affairs Tb. M. Rais asked the City Land Transportation Agency yesterday to investigate why some regular buses have disappeared from their designated routes.

Some buses reportedly do not reach their final destinations, while some buses are not in evidence at all.

Bus companies' inability to cover operational costs with the current fare was one of the reasons why the buses were scarce.

Operational and maintenance costs have increased due to increases in fuel and oil prices.

The fare for regular buses was set by the government at Rp 300 (12 U.S. cents) in April last year. Gubernatorial decree no. 572/1996 was also issued to back up the Ministry of Transportation's decision on the fare.

Asked about punishing bus companies for not servicing routes, councilor Romulus S. Sihombing of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction said yesterday that the administration should take stern action against bus companies that arbitrarily drop routes.

"The disappearance of some regular buses is evidence that the companies lack social responsibility," he said.

Councilor Amarullah Asbah of Commission C for financial affairs expressed understanding of how the current bus fare did not allow bus companies to cover their costs.

"If there is a need to adjust the fare, propose a new one," he said.

PDI spokesman Lukman F. Mokoginta claimed people would not object to an increase in the fare as long as it was commensurate with the level of services provided.

"People wouldn't mind if the fare was set at, for instance Rp 1,000, as long as the bus was safe and comfortable," he said.

City Land Transportation Agency data revealed that some regular buses from Mayasari Bakti and Bianglala bus companies had totally stopped operating quite some time ago.

Only three of Mayasari Bakti's 19 regular buses plying Rawamangun-Blok M route were operating, while according to the company 11 of them were operable.

Mayasari also got permits to operate seven buses on the Kampung Rambutan-Kebayoran Lama route, and nine on the Pulo Gadung-Pasar Minggu route. However none of the buses operate.

Records also indicate that only seven of Mayasari's 20 buses with permits to ply Kampung Melayu-Bekasi route were still operating.

Another bus company, Bianglala, had failed to operate its regular buses on the Lebak Bulus-Kampung Melayu and Lebak Bulus- Manggarai routes. (ste)