Drivers complain over drop in income
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."
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."