Crisis forces 40% of Tangerang's 'angkot' to stop operating

TANGERANG (JP): The skyrocketing prices of spare parts for vehicles along with the decreasing number of commuters caused by the closure of a number of companies here have forced many angkot (public minivan) owners to halt their services.

About 40 percent of the 2,500 angkot which ply 20 routes here are temporarily being kept out of service by their owners, a senior official at Tangerang's Land Transportation Agency said on Sunday.

"The prices of spare parts have jumped four fold. A tire, for instance, has increased from Rp 40,000 before the crisis to Rp 130,000," the official, Diding Iskandar, said.

The routine monthly expenditure for vehicle maintenance has also soared to Rp 400,000 from Rp 100,000, he added.

The continuous decline in the number of passengers due to the closure of many companies since May last year has worsened the situation.

"It's really a serious problem. The only thing we could do now is just encourage them (angkot owners) to continue operating their angkot. We also hope that they won't sell their vehicles," Diding said.

According to angkot drivers, the current situation also has hurt them.

"I can only earn Rp 20,000 a day at the most, which, of course, has no value these days," Leman, an angkot driver on the Cikokol-Pasar Anyer route, said.

In an attempt to survive, some of the drivers have resorted to creativity and trickery. This is true in their dealings with officials from the office of vehicle worthiness.

"I always borrow my friend's tires, which are still in good condition, if I have to go to the office to obtain a vehicle worthiness license," Mansyur, an angkot driver said.

"After the inspection, I just give the good tires back to my friend," he said, adding that many of his fellow drivers did the same thing. (41/bsr)