Fare increases, strikes greet fuel price hike

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.