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