Drivers threaten strike over plan to hike bus fare

JAKARTA (JP): Drivers grouped in the Indonesian Transportation Worker's Union (SPTI) planned to stage a strike if the city administration hikes bus fares, the group's executive said on Friday.

Union chairman M. Ch. David said drivers were worried the bus fare increase would lead to a significant hike in illegal levies, rental fees paid to bus owners and the money drivers were forced to pay passenger brokers.

He said all these fees would further burden bus drivers.

"The decision is not fair since we were not invited to participate in establishing the bus fares... whereas we are the ones who directly meet the people and receive complaints from them," he announced at SPTI headquarters in South Jakarta.

David said bus fares would not have to be increased if the city administration could lower the price of spare parts, and if the executives of the transportation industry properly used the central government's soft loan to purchase spare parts.

"The high price of spare parts is the main complaint of transportation operators and the main reason behind the increase in bus fares. So, if the government could keep the price of spare parts down, there wouldn't be any demand to hike bus fares," he said.

David said a number of bus operators refused to use the government's soft loan to purchase spare parts, instead keeping the money in their bank accounts.

However, he refused to reveal the names of the bus operators.

Earlier this year, the government granted a Rp 56 billion soft loan to the transportation industry to help them procure spare parts in the face of rising prices as a result of the economic crisis.

SPTI groups Metro Mini and Kopaja minibus and mikrolet (minivan) drivers.

Separately, Deputy Governor for Development Affairs Budihardjo Sukmadi said on Friday the city administration decided to hike the fare for regular buses by only 66 percent, instead of the originally planned 100 percent.

Budihardjo said the idea to cut the fare hike came from Governor Sutiyoso during a discussion on the plan to double the fare of regular buses.

He said the governor decided that because regular buses were used by common Jakartans, the fare should not be doubled.

"That's why we will only raise the fare of regular buses from Rp 300 to Rp 500, instead of Rp 600 as originally planned," he said.

The fare increases for other classes of buses will remain the same, he added.

Budihardjo announced on Thursday the fare for regular buses would be increased to Rp 600, the fare for non-air-conditioned express and limited buses would increase to Rp 900 from Rp 700 and the fares for minibuses would go up to Rp 700 from Rp 500. The fare hikes are expected to take effect next week.

Student fares will be raised to Rp 200 from the current Rp 100.

Budihardjo also said that fares for mikrolet would be set between Rp 1,000 and Rp 1,200 per 14 kilometers, while fares for air-conditioned PATAS buses would remain at Rp 2,500.

"Fares for air-conditioned PATAS buses should also be regulated to prevent bus operators from increasing the fares as high as they like," he said.(ind)