Idul Fitri transportation fares

Idul Fitri transportation fares

The Idul Fitri exodus is an annual affair for residents of big cities in the country at the end of the fasting month.

As in previous years, transportation is the main problem for the government in helping the holidaymakers get to their hometowns. This problem includes transportation fares, safety and comfort.

This year a total of 16 million people will be traveling to their hometowns in the archipelago. They will have to struggle for train or bus tickets, forced to deal with scalpers, middlemen and bus owners who arbitrarily increase fares.

The government, in its role as a regulator, must take action. The government's policy of allowing bus owners to increase fares has been a failure, as many bus owners increased the fares higher than recommended. The government has also failed to deal with public complaints about such violations.

This year the House of Representatives has approved a new government policy on fares. The new ruling allows ground transportation owners to charge maximum and minimum fares to passengers. The new ruling, which will be reviewed once every six months, enables transportation companies to calculate their own financial positions before imposing the fares (based on the new ruling).

Based on past experience, the question is how to monitor and control bus owners. Violations of the new policy are possible, and we suggest that the government take stern action to punish these violators.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta