City urged to take over bus management

JAKARTA (JP): A city councilor has urged the municipal administration to consider taking over the management of the state-owned PPD bus company from the Ministry of Transportation, arguing the move would lead to improved services.

Abdulgani H. Abdullah of the Indonesian Democratic Party faction in the City Council said yesterday that it is was the time for the city administration to think seriously about the possibility.

He said the administration should have its own company to provide good transportation services to the public.

The operation of public buses by the administration would enable it to control the transportation situation in the city, he said.

Helmy A.R. Syihab of the United Development Party faction said that his faction agreed with the proposal in principle, but added that technical and administrative preparations would have to be made.

"It would be better for the administration to take over PPD's management before the start of the seventh Five-Year Development Plan in 1999.

The company's organization must be restructured before it is taken over, and its debts paid," he said, adding that PPD's debts totaled billions of rupiah.

He said the number of public buses in Jakarta is now too high, as compared with the number of trains serving the city. "This must be brought into balance," he said.

He said that only 5 to 10 percent of commuters used trains to go to and from work.

Helmy said that the adoption of the proposal would also mean an improvement in the lives of public bus drivers.

"The drivers would receive higher take-home pay. Thereby they would cease competing with each other in seeking passengers to reach the company's revenue targets," he added. (32)