Drivers on strike, passengers stranded

INDONESIA: Hundreds of passengers here were stranded Saturday as public minivan drivers heading to Kampung Melayu in Teluk Naga district of Tangerang were on strike as people refused to pay more despite the fuel price hike.

The residents were seen stranded on Jl. TMP Taruna, near the Tangerang General Hospital, and on Jl. Daan Mogot, where they usually take the minivans.

Some of them passengers were forced to use ojek (motorbike taxi) and paid Rp 15,000 for some 15 kilometer distance.

Bahariawan, one of the drivers who had been on strike since Friday, said that the drivers tried to increase the fare from Rp 1,700 to Rp 2,000, but the passengers rejected the hike.

He said drivers were confused because owners of the minivans had also increased the daily rent fee from Rp 60,000 to Rp 75,000 per day.

The transportation fare should be increased because the government had risen the price of gasoline from Rp 1,550 to Rp 1,890 per liter, Bahariawan said. --JP