Government plan to increase tolls opposed

JAKARTA (JP): Consumer activists, councilors and residents voiced opposition on Thursday to the government's plan to increase toll road charges 25 percent.

Contacted separately by The Jakarta Post, they accused toll road operators of only looking after their own interests, while ignoring the interests of the public.

The head of the law division at the Indonesian Consumers Association, Sudaryatmo, suggested the government listen to the people and take into consideration their opinions.

"They (the authorities and toll road operators) always argue to increase the tolls because the maintenance costs of the toll roads are much higher than their revenue.

"But they're never transparent about their financial performance," Sudaryatmo said.

"That's why we should first have an open discussion of the matter. It's possible that the high (maintenance) costs are caused by, among other things, inefficiency," he said.

The Ministry of Public Works announced on Wednesday a planned 25-percent increase in tolls on seven toll roads across the country due to increases in maintenance costs.

The ministry also said the tolls on these seven roads had not been increased for eight years.

The proposal must be approved by legislators before being enacted, the ministry added.

The increase is set to take effect on the Jagorawi, Jakarta- Cikampek and Jakarta-Tangerang toll road, West Java's Tangerang- Merak and Padalarang-Cileunyi toll roads, East Java's Surabaya- Gempol toll road and the Belawan-Medan-Tanjung Morawa toll road in North Sumatra.

The first four toll roads are used by large numbers of Jakartans each day.

The government's plan to hike tolls stunned many motorists, particularly Jakartans, who face traffic congestion and poorly maintained roads during their daily commute on the toll roads.

"Motorists still experience traffic jams. There is also damage along the toll roads," Sudaryatmo said.

He said Law No. 13/1990 on Roads stipulated that toll roads served a social function. "So it's wrong if the operators only consider the business aspects (of the toll increase)."

Many of the toll roads in the capital and across the country were developed and are managed by PT Jasa Marga, the state-owned toll road operator. A few of the toll roads were developed by the private sector and are jointly managed with Jasa Marga.

Insensitive

The deputy chairman of Jakarta City Council Commission E for social welfare affairs, Ishak Iskandar, said the planned toll hike showed the government's insensitivity to the difficulties faced by the public due to the economic crisis.

"Toll roads have become a public need, as public buses also use them. So the toll increase will automatically effect the bus fares. Such things should also be considered," Ishak said.

The councilor added that he could not accept the government's excuse of spiraling maintenance costs.

"Toll roads have been operated for years so, off course, the business must have borne profit.

"Why don't they share the profits with people who are still facing economic difficulties," Ishak asked.

His position was supported by councilor Abdul Aziz Matnur of Commission A for administrative affairs.

Aziz said the government should bear in mind that toll increases could trigger the ire of the public. "The operators always publicly announce their financial losses but have never disclosed their profits to the people."

Separately, several public bus drivers and their assistants were surprised upon learning of the planned toll increase.

Erwin, an assistant on a bus plying the Kampung Rambutan route in East Jakarta and the Grogol route in West Jakarta, was opposed to the plan, saying it would only add to the burdens faced by people like him.

"Every day we spend more than Rp 30,000 on toll road charges. The toll increase will mean a lot to us," he said.

Bus driver Sunardi, who plies the Kampung Rambutan and Kalideres routes, voiced similar sentiments. "Please consider us," he said.

Data from 1998 from Jasa Marga showed the company collected an average of between Rp 90 million and Rp 100 million per day on the 72-kilometer Jakarta-Cikampek toll road.

In January last year, the firm's president, Wiyoga Adiwasito, announced Jasa Marga's 1998 toll revenue dropped by almost 7 percent to some Rp 676.2 billion from Rp 727 billion in 1997. The fall in revenue was blamed on a decline in the number of vehicles using toll roads due to the country's economic crisis. (ind)