Fare increases, strikes greet fuel price hike

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Suparlan, 36, was obviously shocked when asked for Rp 2,500 (24 US dollar cents) for the short trip between Muncul and Ciputat, both in Tangerang, that he had previously paid only Rp 1,700.

"I only have this (much). You've increased the fare too high," Suparlan, a resident of Buaran subdistrict in Tangerang, told the public minivan driver while handing over two Rp 1,000 bills.

Getting out of the minivan, Suparlan, who works as a shop attendant at the Kebayoran Lama market in South Jakarta, got even more confused when he learned that the public minivans that ply the Ciputat-Kebayoran Lama route were on strike.

"How will I get to Kebayoran Lama," he asked while taking cover from the scorching heat at a shop in the Ciputat Market.

Drivers of public transportation vehicles either unilaterally raised their fares or went on strike on Saturday, hours after the government raised fuel prices by an average of 126.6 percent.

The price of gasoline was increased from Rp 2,400 to Rp 4,500, diesel fuel from Rp 2,100 to Rp 4,300, while kerosene went up from Rp 700 to Rp 2,000.

Several public buses in the capital, including air-conditioned ones, also raised their fares on Saturday.

Air-conditioned buses plying the Ciputat-Senen, Central Jakarta route, for example, increased their fares from Rp 3,500 to Rp 4,000, while air conditioned buses plying the Kampung Rambutan, East Jakarta-Ciledug, South Jakarta route hiked their fares from Rp 4,000 to Rp 5,000.

Jakarta Public Transportation Operators Association (Organda) chairman Herry Rotty blamed Governor Sutiyoso for the unilateral fare increase, saying that he failed to anticipate the fuel price increase by issuing a gubernatorial decree on new tariffs for public transportation vehicles.

"We sent a letter to Governor Sutiyoso on Sept. 28 asking him to discuss new transportation fares, but he did not respond," he said.

He said that his organization could not stop the drivers from increasing tariffs or going on strike because they had been affected by the fuel price hike.

Instead of raising their fares, some transportation drivers opted to go on strike to protest the government's decision to raise fuel prices.

Public transportation vehicles going on strike included minivans serving the Lebak Bulus-Ciledug route in South Jakarta, the Lebak Bulus-Parung in Bogor and the Lebak Bulus-Depok in West Java.

Minivans plying routes from Senen in Central Jakarta to Semper in North Jakarta, Kelapa Dua to Cililitan, both in East Jakarta, Pasar Minggu to Ciganjur in South Jakarta, and Pasar Minggu to Lenteng Agung, also in South Jakarta, also went on strike.