Jakarta Fair committee to rent bus routes

Jakarta Fair committee to rent bus routes

JAKARTA (JP): The committee organizing the 30th Jakarta Fair
in June vowed to overcome the annual transport problems by
renting buses on existing routes and paying incentives to
drivers.

Since the Jakarta Fair moved from the Monas National Monument
Park to the Kemayoran Fairgrounds in Central Jakarta, people
without private cars have complained of the lack of public
transport.

Rudi Hendra, the deputy general manager of the Jakarta
International Trade Center in charge of organizing the fair, said
yesterday ordering bus drivers to take passengers to the fair had
not helped.

Bus drivers say they risk empty buses to and from the fair.

"So we will rent four buses from each of the 10 routes passing
the fair, and pay drivers Rp 10,000 if they take more than 30
passengers on one trip. This way they won't have to worry about
their daily target," Rudi said.

Although every year the city adds buses plying special routes
to the fairgrounds, buses are still hard to find particularly
late at night.

Rudi said passengers would not have to pay fares, only the
admittance tickets of Rp 2,000 per person or Rp 1,500 for one
person in a group of at least 25.

Rudi said further the city's public works office has said it
would repair the roads leading to the fairgrounds, which are
frequently damaged after rains.

Hopefully the road linking the fairgrounds to Jl. L.
Martadinata would be ready when the fair opened on June 14, Rudi
said. The Land Transport and Traffic Control Agency has also
promised to add signs showing the way to the fair.

Because the fair would be celebrating its 30th year it would
be "quite different," he said. The fair is held every year to
commemorate Jakarta's founding. This year it will be held in
conjunction with the city's 469th anniversary.

Attractions costing Rp 6 billion will include a daily street
festival with entertainment coordinated by noted musician Franky
Raden. A 'Jakarta Percussion Festival '97' will feature local and
foreign groups from Japan, the Netherlands and other countries.

A 'ballet in the air,' a carnival, live music and
contributions from Jakarta's 12 sister cities around the world
will be part of the fair which runs to July 13.

"The samba (from Brazil) is among offers still being
considered," Rudi said.

Boxing promoter Tourino Tidar said national champions will
compete for the "Jakarta Fair Cup," in the hope that boxing would
become a regular feature the annual fair.

The remaining problem, Rudi said, is attendance at the fair
which aims to attract business representatives from around the
country and from other countries.

"Until now no foreign representative has confirmed
attendance," he said. "Trade representatives say a fair of 30
days is too long and would be too costly. They are accustomed to
four-day fairs."

He said the committee had yet to solve the problem. (anr)