Councilors urge bus firm subsidies
JAKARTA (JP): Newly elected city councilors said on Wednesday it was now inappropriate to increase bus fares, and instead suggested Governor Sutiyoso subsidize the bus owners.
Ahmad Heryawan of the Justice Party (PK), M. Syamsuardi Botan of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Azis Boeang of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Ali Imron Hussein of the United Development Party (PPP) said the Governor should subsidize bus owners rather than increase fares.
"The Governor should comply with the former city council's recommendation that city administration should provide a subsidy to bus owners, so that they could overcome the skyrocketing cost of spare parts," councilor Ahmad Heryawan said.
Similarly, Azis Boeang and Ali Imron Hussein also said the city administration should comply with the recommendation.
The recommendation was issued just a few months before members of the former council ended their terms on Aug. 25. The governor, however, has never responded to the council's suggestion.
Syamsuardi said increasing the bus fares would only anger the people.
"It would be better to have a reduced city income than to see people going down the streets protesting the fare hike," he said, while quoting a city officials' statement that the subsidy would reduce the city's income Rp 7 billion a year.
City administration reportedly proposed an increase on regular bus fares from Rp 300 to Rp 500 and an increase from Rp 700 to Rp 900 for non-air-conditioned and limited buses (Patas).
The fare for minibuses was to be raised to Rp 700 from Rp 500, and the fare for air-conditioned PATAS buses was scheduled to rise from Rp 2,300 to Rp 2,500. Also, the student fare for regular buses was to be doubled from the current Rp 100.
The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) also rejected the fare rise, suggesting that the city administration immediately provide the subsidy.
"It won't be necessary to increase the bus fares if city administration subsidizes the bus owners and erases illegal levies," YLKI deputy chairman Agus Pambagio said in a statement on Wednesday.
The newly elected councilors appeared disappointed by the absence of Deputy Governor Budihardjo Sukmadi at Wednesday's hearing, which discussed the fare hike proposal. City administration sent only five middle-ranking officials, led by Ongky Sukasah, an assistant to the city secretary for administration and development affairs.
"How could the city administration send people who did not have the authority to make decisions? Didn't they say that the proposal is an urgent and important matter?" Syamsuardi said.
Leaders from the 10 parties represented in the city council and members of the military faction also attended the hearing.
Syamsuardi criticized the five city officials for coming late to the hearing, scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
Meanwhile, Heryawan said the city administration showed a lack of respect for the City Council by sending low-ranking officials to the hearing.
"We are not members of an orchestra, who will follow whatever the city executives say. It's not the New Order era anymore. We (city administration and city council) are now equal," Heryawan said. (jun)