Governor says phase out old transit vehicles
Governor says phase out old transit vehicles
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja reiterated on Thursday that sooner or later all outdated vehicles currently operating in the city will be phased out.
"Sooner or later, all vehicles, which are considered no longer appropriate for operation in the city, will be phased out," Surjadi said after swearing in the new chief of the Provincial Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday.
"But this will start only after new vehicles have been chosen to replace the old ones," he said, refusing to give details.
The city administration announced plans recently to eliminate all small public transportation vehicles from the city, including the three-wheeled vehicles bemo and bajaj and the ojek (motorcycle taxis) on ground that they are no longer suitable for transporting passengers.
The city has authorized the Land Transportation Owners Organization to set up a special team to prepare for the replacement of the bemo with another type of small vehicle.
According to the chairman of the organization, Aip Syaifuddin, the team consists of representatives from the City Law Bureau, the City Land Transportation Control Agency and the City Economic Bureau.
Aip said that the team decided not to choose the type of minivans currently operating in the city as mikrolet because they are not designed for use on narrow roads.
He added that the bemo will be replaced with a 1,000 cc four- wheeled vehicle especially designed with the same passenger capacity as the bemo to ply narrow residential roads.
"The city administration has yet to be informed of the progress in the preparations for replacing the bemo," said H. Prawoto S. Danoemihardjo, the City's Assistant Secretary for Economic and Development Affairs.
Tanah Abang is known to have the highest number of bemo in Jakarta. Other areas with many bemo are the Senen and Jl. Kebon Sirih areas, the streets around the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital and Pulogadung, Salemba Tengah and Rawasari.
Most bemo drivers are not the owners of the vehicles. They pay about Rp 15,000 (US$6.81) per day to the owners and spend Rp 12,000 per day on petrol. They also have to pay Rp 600 to city officials daily and must set money aside for repairs. Repairs are common since most bemo were imported in 1962. (31)