Drive to phase out non-AC buses gains public support

JAKARTA (JP): The proposal to eliminate non-AC limited passenger buses has gained industry and public support.

Both the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) and the city chapter of the Association of Public Transportation Owners (Organda) said yesterday they supported the proposal, under which the city would operate only regular buses and air-conditioned express buses.

The proposal was floated Tuesday by councilor M. Rodja of the United Development Party faction.

YLKI chairperson Tini Hadad said by eliminating non-AC limited passenger buses and converting them into regular buses, the public would get better service and affordable fares.

She said that currently, bus companies prefer to operate non- AC limited passenger busses rather than regular buses due to the low fare of regular buses in comparison to non-AC limited passenger buses.

"This is understandable because they want to profit. But, it disadvantages customers because they pay more, while the service in non-AC limited passenger buses is the same as in regular buses," Tini said.

Under the fare structure set by the government last year, regular buses charge Rp 300 (12 U.S. cents) per person and limited passenger buses charge Rp 700 per person.

Tini said non-AC limited passenger buses also failed to follow traffic regulations, which prohibit them from stopping just anywhere, just like regular buses, or carrying more passengers than allowed.

"Regulations say limited passenger buses should stop at bus shelters only," Tini said.

She said the administration should impose heavier penalties on bus companies which violated regulations to prevent them from repeating their mistakes," Tini said.

City regulations allow limited passenger buses during peak hours to carry only 10 more passengers than the number of available seats.

She also urged bus companies to keep their promise to improve bus service made when the government increased transportation fares in April last year. "A year has passed and the service is still the same," Tini said.

She said she was not against the notion of increasing regular bus fares to Rp 500 per person after the elimination of non-AC limited passenger buses.

"But, bus companies can not ask to increase fares without improving the service," Tini said.

Organda chairman Aip Syarifuddin supported the councilor's call to eliminate non-AC passenger buses.

"By eliminating non-AC limited passenger buses and converting them into regular buses, bus companies can run more regular buses in the city," Aip said.

He said he supported the councilor's suggestion to raise regular bus fares to Rp 500 after the non-AC limited passenger buses were eliminated and converted into regular buses.

On Tuesday, councilor M. Rodja of the United Development Party faction proposed the municipality eliminate non-AC limited passenger buses and operate only regular and air-conditioned express buses. The non-AC limited-passenger should be converted into regular buses, he added.

Rodja was responding to complaints that some regular buses have disappeared from service on designated routes, as recorded by the City Land Transportation Agency, and limited passenger services were not being run as a limited service.

According to City Land Transportation Agency data, the city now operates 3,691 buses, 1,900 of them are non-AC Patas, and 672 AC Patas, and 1,119 regular buses. The buses ply 217 routes across the city. (ste)