Jakartans still in confusion over new fares
Jakartans still in confusion over new fares
JAKARTA (JP): Although the government announced new transportation fares on Wednesday, the increased charges are still a subject of dispute between passengers and operators.
The city's Land Transportation Owners Organization (Organda) has asked its members to wait for a decree to be issued by Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja before increasing fares.
"But we aren't criticizing our members who have increased fares their because the announcement said that the hike in fares was effective from Thursday, April 4," the chairman of the organization, Aip Syarifuddin told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
He admitted that some bus owners and drivers have taken advantage of the announcement by raising their fares immediately without informing the organization.
The confusion has led to prices of daily goods such as vegetables and chilis, rising as well, despite Governor Surjadi describing price increases of such goods as illogical, and warning traders not to exploit the situation for their own interests.
However Christianto Wibisono, the chairman of the Indonesian Business Data Center, said psychological effects of increased fares would influence prices in other sectors of the economy.
Aip said bus owners may argue that the Minister of Transportation's announcement has a stronger legal basis than a governor's decree.
According to Aip, the government's announcement of new fares should be followed by a governor's decree. "It's the rule of the game," he said.
He said he met the Governor on Thursday to ask him to issue a new fares decree as soon as possible.
Aip said he did not know when the decree will be issued. "I hope it would be issued some time this month," was his only comment.
In a related development Governor Surjadi made it clear that the decree he would issue will only cover fares in the city.
The fare hikes include those of regular city buses, limited- passenger buses (Patas), taxis and minibuses (Metromini and Kopaja).
"Fares for air-conditioned buses and Mikrolet (minivans) were not regulated by the government. So it's up to their operators whether or not to increase their fares," Surjadi said.
Some taxi drivers said they would wait for new meters from their management before raising their fares.
"We are not sure if we can get the new meters on Monday," a driver of the Spirit taxi said.
"I don't dare charge new fares if I don't have the new meter," he said.
Another driver, Simamora, said other drivers may request higher fares because their employers have raised daily rents by Rp 10,000. (04/yns/bsr)