DLLAJ threatens to revoke bus permits
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)