Govt penalizes 91 bus companies

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)