City to ply 8,762 buses

City to ply 8,762 buses

JAKARTA (JP): The city will operate 8,762 buses during the coming Idul Fitri holidays on Feb. 9 and 10, an official said yesterday.

The buses would operate a week before and a week after the holiday, J.P. Sepang, the head of the City Land Transportation Control Agency, said.

He said 1,700 of the buses were city buses converted for intercity and interprovincial trips, in case regular buses could not meet demand.

There would be twice as many intercity buses than last year and the state bus company, Damri, would operate 150 additional buses, Sepang said.

He said there would be 10 percent more buses than last year. Bus services have been inadequate in recent years.

Severe traffic congestion on Java's north coast and in East and West Jakarta caused buses to take twice as long as usual, Sepang said.

"No matter how many buses we operate, they will not be enough if the intercity roads are as congested as last year," he said.

Sepang predicted about 1.6 million people would leave Jakarta this year compared to 1.4 million last year.

To prevent buses operating illegally during the season, drivers would be required to get temporary permits and display a green sticker on their buses, Sepang said.

The agency would revoke drivers' operating permits if they did not have the temporary permits, he said.

Agency data shows there are 478 bus terminals in the city. Meanwhile, the city's public order office recorded 363 illegal terminals at 140 sites. (02)