Drivers complain over drop in income
Novan Iman Santosa The Jakarta Post Jakarta
The holy fasting month of Ramadhan is into its second week and the majority of Jakartans have slowly slipped back into their daily routines. But for the city's public transportation drivers, life has become much harder.
Interviewed separately on Wednesday, drivers of various modes of public transportation told The Jakarta Post that they could barely make ends meet during the fasting month.
Triyono, a driver of a mikrolet (public minivan), said he usually brought home Rp 50,000 to Rp 70,000 (US$5.40 to $7.60) a day before Ramadhan.
"Nowadays if I'm lucky, I can barely make the daily rental fee of Rp 80,000 I pay to my juragan (master). After paying the rent of the mikrolet, there is sometimes only Rp 10,000 to Rp 20,000 left over for me," he said.
Triyono, who plies the M-09 route between Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta and Kebayoran Lama in South Jakarta, said his daily net income fluctuated during the fasting month.
Meanwhile, a bajaj (three-wheeled motorized vehicle) said his daily income had dropped by some 50 percent.
"I usually bring home some Rp 20,000 to Rp 30,000 a day after paying for the use of the bajaj, which is Rp 30,000 per day," said the driver, Anto.
"But now I am very lucky if I can bring home Rp 10,000."
Haryanto, a Metromini (minibus) driver also said Ramadhan was a hard time for him to make money.
"Look around you. There are traffic jams everywhere but there are no passengers.
"It was different before (the fasting month) when I could still have a lot of passengers despite the traffic jams."
Hartono, who serves the P-75 route, which runs from the Blok M bus terminal in South Jakarta to the South Jakarta area of Ragunan, said he had to pay Rp 350,000 a day for the use of a minibus, which he was able to make after a full day of driving the bus.
"Before Ramadhan, I usually made Rp 80,000 above the rental fee, and that was shared between me and the conductor.
"But it's getting more difficult to even make Rp 20,000 extra," he said, as he maneuvered the bus through the busy Blok M terminal.
The bus terminal was almost empty on Wednesday afternoon, compared to its usual packed and frenzied atmosphere on other days.
Similar complaints were also echoed by taxi drivers.
Eddy Wahyu, who drives a Kosti Jaya taxi, said he had picked up only one passenger at about 9 a.m. even though he started work early in the morning.
"I have to work hard to reach my daily target of Rp 185,000, which is what it costs to rent the taxi. Sometimes I have to cheat to bring home some money," he said.
Eddy, however, refused to explain how he cheated to get more money.
When asked what was the underlying factor for the decrease in their daily incomes, all the drivers said that people tended to avoid making unnecessary trips during the day while it was fasting month.
"I have more passengers later in the afternoon when office employees go home, but that's it.
"The situation slows down again some time after the breaking of the fast at dusk, but then there are lots of passengers until about 9 p.m,." said Triyono.
Hartono agreed with Triyono, saying that he only had a full bus early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
Triyono predicted that the slow conditions could continue well after Idul Fitri on Dec. 6 and 7.
"Usually things slow down even more during Idul Fitri as most Jakartans leave town to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones outside the capital," he said. "It can take between two weeks and a month before things get back to normal."