Consumers choose their favorite taxis

By Sugianto Tandra

JAKARTA (JP): Asking people which taxi company they prefer is the same as asking them about their favorite food or clothes -- the answers are too varied.

Similarly, when people were asked to relate their experiences with taxis, responses were also diverse.

Benjamin Budiono, an assistant manager at a branch of Citibank, travels to and from work by taxi. His rule of thumb for selecting taxis is simple: "Pick the blue taxis. Avoid the yellow ones."

The blue taxis could be those belonging to the Blue Bird, Kosti Jaya, Bima Sakti, or Citra taxi company.

Benjamin, or Benny, recounted unpleasant experiences with yellow cabs, which ranged from the rudeness of the drivers to manipulation of taxi meters, forcing him to pay more than the usual fare.

He admitted, however, that his bad experiences might have been caused by the poor service of "individual drivers"; he did not blame the cab company in general.

"So I suggest that the company creates a good public relations program, like opening special complaint booths, and responds to them seriously," Benny said.

Frans Pangaribuan, a President taxi driver, has been working with the yellow-and-red fleet for more than 10 years. He admitted that President taxi used to have a very poor public image.

However, Frans blamed it on people whose mentality was such that they listened to and believed hearsay, even if they never had any bad experiences with this particular taxi company.

"People don't notice that there are plenty of bad drivers hired by the blue taxi fleet," he said. "People believe, just like that, that yellow taxis are bad."

Frans said he believes in giving the best service to passengers. "Until now, I have never had any difficulties in meeting my employer's daily target of earnings," he said.

"You see, a lot depends on the drivers themselves, not on the color of the taxi fleet. I know from fellow cab drivers that taxi companies do not have any special training for their drivers on how to satisfy their customers," Frans said.

Dian Nitami, an actress, says she has never been disappointed "because I ride Silver Bird most of the time". The service she was referring to is more expensive than that of other taxis; the flagfall fee is Rp 2,500, compared to the Rp 1,500 charged by ordinary taxis.

"I need only to call, and they'll arrive on time. The service is always satisfactory, and there is nothing to worry about," she said.

However, Dian said she has heard a lot of stories from her friends about their bad experiences with taxis, especially concerning those operating without permits around Gambir and other railway stations.

"My friends said some taxis operating at Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport still refuse to use their meters. I wonder if the government is taking any actions against these kinds of taxis," she said.

She recounted a friend's experience when they complained about a taxi driver to a security officer at one airport and was told that "it's usual".

Sri Lestari, an employee of Burson-Marsteller Corporate, Financial and Marketing Communication, used to drive her own car to work. Four months ago, she gave up driving and started taking a taxi to her office in Mid Plaza, Jl. Thamrin, Central Jakarta.

"I decided to take a taxi because I couldn't stand the traffic jams. Just imagine -- it could take me almost two hours to reach the office, and another two hours to return home," she said.

She is supposed to leave the office at 5 p.m., but often leaves at 6 p.m. and sometimes later.

"Between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., there is hardly any taxi which is willing to pick you up at the office building. During that time, you have to wait at the roadside and it can take you an hour or two to get a cab. On Fridays, things are worse," she said.

When she is in a hurry, she asks her co-worker for a ride to the Grand Hyatt Hotel, where she can easily get a taxi.

"There are only the Silver Birds at the hotel, which means that I have to pay more. But it's fine," she said.

She lives in the Bintaro Jaya housing complex in Tangerang. The taxi fare to the office is about Rp 13,000, but she has to pay between Rp 14,000 and Rp 15,000 for the taxi fare from the office to her house because she has to take a U-turn on the way home. If she takes a Silver Bird, she has to pay almost Rp 30,000.

She said she did not mind spending hundreds of rupiah a month, because she could save her energy.

She related that she sometimes had unfavorable experiences when traveling by taxi. A taxi she took from the street drove her around before heading to the destination. So, whenever possible, she always places an order for a taxi by phone. In the morning, she prefers Kosti Jaya, which pools near her house. At lunch time, when she wants to eat out, she prefers Blue Bird. However, she said she had several bad experiences with the taxis she ordered by phone to pick her up at the office building.

"By the time I arrived at the lobby, the taxi was gone. I lodged my complaints with the taxi company, but it happened again and again. I wonder why they did not take action against the driver," she said.