Govt penalizes 91 bus companies

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Transportation revealed that it has taken disciplinary action against 91 intercity bus companies whose drivers were found guilty of price gouging during the Idul Fitri holidays.

Director General of Land Transport Soejono said yesterday that some of the drivers had even thrown passengers off the buses after they refused to pay more than the allowable 25 percent price increase.

Soejono noted that the ministry had taken various actions against those companies because their drivers had violated many rules.

Some companies were simply warned not to repeat their offenses while the others had their travel licenses revoked between one and 20 months, Soejono added.

Many ill-behaved drivers had time and again asked their passengers to pay more than the legal increase during the Idul Fitri holidays, when millions of Jakartans leave the capital for their hometowns.

The passengers, who had already boarded the bus, could do nothing but pay the extra charge or the driver would tell them to get off.

To discourage bus crews from raising fares, officials of the ministry have launched a special operation throughout certain parts of Java to check how much the passengers have to pay.

Bus companies such as Setia Negara, operating between Jakarta and Kuningan, West Java, Gapuraing Rahayu, operating between Jakarta and Purwokerto, Central Java, Tunggal Dara, operating between Jakarta and Surakarta, Central Java, and the Magelang- based Handojo bus company in Central Java are among those who have been named as offenders by officials.(09)