Govt blasted for road toll hike of up to 75%

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) said on Tuesday that the government was violating its own regulations by proposing road toll hikes of between 25 percent and 75 percent despite what the foundation claimed was the poor service offered by toll road operators.

YLKI chairwoman Indah Suksmaningsih said the toll hikes could only be justified if toll roads provided significant advantages to motorists compared to ordinary roads.

"As long as the toll road operators fail to ensure smooth travel, they have no right to ask for toll hikes," she told The Jakarta Post.

"Law No.13/1980 on highways clearly stipulates that the better service provided by toll roads differentiates them from ordinary roads."

The Ministry of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure proposed that road tolls be hiked by between 25 percent and 75 percent during a hearing on Monday with the House of Representatives' Commission IV on transportation and infrastructure.

The government has also proposed slapping 10 percent value- added tax on the new tolls.

The rises include a 33 percent hike for the inner-Jakarta toll road network, notorious for its massive traffic jams during peak times, from Rp 3,000 to Rp 4,000.

The charge for using the Jagorawi toll road, Indonesia's first turnpike, would be raised from Rp 4,000 to Rp 5,500, a 38 percent hike.

The ministry has also proposed a 75 percent increase, the biggest hike, for the Tangerang-Merak toll road, where the charge would increase from Rp 10,000 to Rp 17,500.

Meanwhile, the smallest proposed rises apply to the Soedyatmo toll road, where the toll would rise from Rp 4,000 to Rp 5,000, and the Serpong-Pondok Aren toll road, which would see tolls rise from Rp 2,000 to Rp 2,500.

Not only had the toll road operators failed to provide better service than the ordinary road network, the government had also violated another regulation, Indah said.

"According to Government Regulation No. 40/2001 on road toll increases, tolls may only be increased once every three years. Considering this, the next hike should be in 2004, and not this year or next year."

While admitting that some turnpikes had not increased their tolls since 1997, Indah said this did not automatically gave the operators the right to hike tolls without providing better service.

Indah supported the government's plan to exempt public transportation vehicles from the hikes.

"I would agree if the higher tolls were only aimed at those who drive flashy, expensive cars. But we must protect city buses, for example."

Earlier on Monday, Minister Soenarno said that public buses would indeed be exempted from the toll increases.

"There will be special tickets for buses entitling them to lower turnpike tolls," he said as quoted by Antara.