Council agrees to increase in public transportation fares

JAKARTA (JP): The city council approved on Thursday the proposal for a hike in public bus fares, but declined to settle on the amount of the increase.

After leading a two-hour meeting, Speaker Edy Waluyo said the council decided to allow the city administration to determine the increase with the hope that the new fare would not burden the public.

"The council doesn't want to interfere with the city administration's authority and duties. The point is that the council will approve the hike as long as it doesn't put any additional strain on residents," Edy told reporters.

"We'll leave it up to Governor Sutiyoso to decide the new fares because it's his authority," he added, citing the Minister of Communications Decree No.38/1999, which stipulates that a provincial governor has the authority to set transportation fares.

The council's decision came two days faster than was scheduled by the councillors, who, since last Friday, met to discuss the proposals filed by the city administration and the local chapter of the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda).

The administration had proposed fare hikes to the council since July of last year. The administration wanted the regular bus fare to increase from Rp 300 to Rp 500 (6 U.S. cents), Rp 500 to Rp 700 for minibuses, and Rp 2,300 to Rp 2,500 for Patas air- conditioned (AC) express buses and Rp 100 from Rp 200 for students.

Organda submitted a higher proposal of Rp 1,000 for regular buses, Rp 1,200 for minibuses, Rp 3,250 for Patas AC and Rp 500 for students.

Edy said that with the new fares all bus companies should improve their safety, security and service for passengers.

Sutiyoso said he submitted the proposal to the council in an attempt to ask for the councillors' consideration.

"I do have the authority to implement the new fares but I wanted to ask for the city councillors' consideration before making it official," he told reporters.

Prior to the meeting, which started at 3 p.m., councillors received dozens of students who came to protest the planned increase to the student bus fare.

Grouped in the Muhammadiyah Youths Association, some 50 university and high school students called the new fare proposal from Organda "unrealistic" and would only "burden the public, particularly those in the lower wage bracket".

Unfurling banners and placards, they demanded the government dismiss Organda, maintain the current student fare of Rp 100, provide more school buses, and order the bus crew to treat the students the same as other paying passengers.

"Since students only pay Rp 100, many buses refuse to carry us," said the group's chairman, May Hendrik Sikumbang, a student at Muhammadiyah University.

"Or if they do, they charge us Rp 500," he added.

The students, most in their high school uniforms, met the councillors from Commission D for public works, development and environmental affairs.

The commission's deputy chairman, Saud Rahman of the United Development Party (PPP) faction, promised the students that his commission would take their demands seriously.

"We do not want to listen to Organda, we want to listen to people," the councillor said.

Hayatullah, a senior student at Muhammadiyah Technical High School in North Jakarta, said the hike would severely burden his father, who is does not have permanent employment.

"I often pay my school fees late," he said.

"My allowance is only Rp 1,000 a day with Rp 200 for bus fare. If that increases, I only have Rp 600 left. What can I buy with that?" he said.

A group of 10 students from the School of Transportation Management at Trisakti University came to the council's office to discuss similar concerns.

"Public transportation is not an isolated business. It affects all of society since a majority of Jakarta's residents depend on it," said the president of the student council, Pandji Aryo Damar.

The Trisakti students then suggested the city administration give subsidies to bus owners to set up a fare based on the distance, to eliminate any expenses outside operational costs, fire corrupt city employees and to eliminate the import tax for spare parts which will be used for public buses. (nvn/09)