Jakarta taxi fares go up by 36 percent on average

Jakarta taxi fares go up by 36 percent on average

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Nearly a month after the government raised fuel prices on March
1, the Jakarta administration announced on Tuesday new fares for
taxis operating in the city.

"I have signed a gubernatorial decree on the increase this
morning. The new tariff will be effective on Wednesday (today),"
Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said on the sidelines of a meeting at
Borobudur Hotel in Central Jakarta.

Fares will increase by 36 percent on average, with a new flag
fall of Rp 4,000 (US$42 cents), a per-kilometer charge of Rp
1,800 and a waiting charge of Rp 18,000 per hour.

The taxi fare increase is the first since 2000.

"We decided to approve the increase as requested earlier by
Organda (the Jakarta chapter of the Land Transportation Owners
Association) in order to stave off possible conflicts between
taxi drivers and passengers following the fuel price hike, which
has dealt a severe blow, particularly to taxi drivers," he said.

He asked taxi owners not to raise the daily rental fees they
charged drivers for at least three months, to give them time to
adapt to the increase.

"I will take stern action -- including the revocation of
operational permits -- against disobedient taxi owners who insist
on increasing the amount they charge their low-paid drivers," he
said.

Dian P, 35, an Express taxi driver welcomed the policy, saying
that the increase would help him weather the impact of the fuel
price increase early this month.

"I hope that I can make what I earned before the fuel price
increase -- between Rp 40,000 and Rp 50,000 daily -- with the new
taxi fares," said the resident of Manggarai, South Jakarta.

Separately, deputy chairman of Jakarta Council Commission D
for public works and development, Muhayar, warned that an across
the board tariff increase would be problematic as the quality of
service offered by each taxi operator was quite different.

"The increase will simply affect taxi operators who own old
vehicles as passengers obviously prefer new cabs to old ones,
particularly if the fares are the same," Muhayar said.

He said that the commission would recommend that the
administration revise the gubernatorial decree by regulating not
only the ceiling price of the increase but also a minimum
increase for older taxi cabs.

City spokesman Catur Laswanto said that aside from the taxi
fare increase, the administration would require taxi operators to
upgrade their services.

"They must improve their services. For example, the back seat
temperature should be 25 degrees Celsius, so its not just front
seat passengers who can enjoy the cool air," Catur told The
Jakarta Post and Merdeka.

The Blue Bird Group, which owns around 9,000 of the 21,000
taxi cabs operating in the capital, said that it would need some
time to adjust its meters in accordance with the increase.

"Of course, we will abide by the increase. However, since we
are yet to formally receive the copy of the decree, we have not
discussed when we will raise the fare," the company's spokesman
Riva Lazuardi told The Post.

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Taxi fare increase

old tariff Organda's proposal new tariff

Flag fall Rp 3,000 Rp 5,700 Rp 4,000

Charge per Rp 1,300 Rp 2,200 Rp 1,800
kilometer

Waiting fee Rp 13,000 Rp 22,000 Rp 18,000
per hour

Source: Jakarta administration