DLLAJ threatens to revoke bus permits
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ) said on Thursday it would revoke the operation permits of bus companies which joined a strike planned for next Monday.
"We urge the bus owners to cancel the planned strike, since it would only make the public suffer," DLLAJ deputy head Dimmy Kirbrandiman said, quickly adding that the agency would "revoke the operation permits" of bus owners which participated in the strike.
Dimmy said his office received a notice from the Association of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) that at least 2,100 public buses from 14 bus companies in and around the capital would not operate on Monday in an attempt to force the city administration to raise bus fares.
He said at least 2,675 buses served 555 routes in the city each day, of which 495 belonged to city-owned bus firm PPD. This gives some idea of the impact 2,100 buses going on strike would have on the capital, he said.
Aware that such a massive strike could paralyze the city, DLLAJ has held a meeting with the military and police to discuss contingency plans to serve what could possibly be millions of stranded commuters.
Dozens of trucks from the Jakarta Police and the Jakarta Military Command will be on standby on Monday to help transport commuters, Dimmy said.
Besides truck from the police and military, the city administration has stated that it will also be prepared to deploy scores of its buses and those belonging to the various ministries, he said.
Separately, the head of Kopaja bus cooperative, Putu W. Antara, said bus owners and their crews were prepared to carry out their planned strike on Monday no matter the consequences.
"It's not easy (for DLLAJ to revoke the permits) because we've been in financial trouble operating the buses.
"Moreover, it's not easy for them to identify buses that go on strike," he said.
Putu said Organda members agreed to Monday's strike after the City Council rejected their proposed bus fare hike.
"We feel that the council did not seriously listen to the aspirations of the bus owners," Putu said.
Putu declined to give further details of the planned strike.
He did say the council earlier promised to approve the bus owners' fare hike proposal after a plenary hearing on Friday of this week. The hearing was held on Tuesday, three day earlier than originally scheduled.
A day after the meeting, councilors denied that they told bus owners they would approve their proposal, saying that such approval could only be given after the council's five commissions were formed next week.
The city administration earlier proposed a fare increase of Rp 200 for regular buses, minibuses, limited seat (Patas) buses and air-conditioned Patas buses. The student fare for regular buses was to be doubled to Rp 200.
Bus companies and crews have been threatening to go on strike since last week, unhappy with the administration's and the City Council's handling of their demands.
As of yet, the threatened strikes have failed to materialize.
Some bus company employees on Monday rejected the idea of a strike, saying such an action would do nothing to settle their problems and in the end would only serve to damage their income.
They said a strike would, as usual, only benefit bus owners.
Dimmy said bus drivers who wanted to join Monday's strike should instead hold a peaceful protest at the City Council building.
"Just come to the City Council with a maximum of 100 protesting drivers on no more than two buses," he said. (jun)