Drive to phase out non-AC buses gains public support

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)