Jakartans to see cooler Mikrolet vans

Jakartans to see cooler Mikrolet vans

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Good news for Jakarta's many commuters who are forced every day
to squeeze into packed Mikrolet minivans and endure the
sweltering heat and choking pollution.

The Jakarta chapter of the Organization of Land Transportation
Owners (Organda) says it is planning to replace worn-out minivans
with air-conditioned ones by July at the latest.

"We want to upgrade our services to Mikrolet passengers in
terms of convenience and security, especially on routes leading
to office centers," the head of Organda's micro public
transportation division, Safruhan Sinungan, told The Jakarta Post
on Wednesday.

Safruhan said several owners of Mikrolet minivans had
expressed their readiness to rejuvenate their old fleets with
air-conditioned minivans.

"There are several routes on our priority list as these routes
cater to office workers, who need more comfortable public
transportation," Safruhan said.

The routes to be served by air-conditioned Mikrolets by July
of this year include Tanah Abang-Kota (Mikrolet 08), Jatinegara-
Karet (Mikrolet 44) and Pulogadung-Kota (Mikrolet 39).

According to Safruhan, the Jakarta Transportation Agency had
agreed to the air-conditioned minivan proposal as the new
minivans would be no different from the old ones except that they
would have double blower air-conditioners.

"By the end of this month, we will introduce the air-
conditioned minivans to the public. Jakarta residents will see
them operate in the second semester of this year, or in July at
the latest," he added.

"Of course, we will also require our drivers to stop smoking
while they are driving. The minivans will be smoke-free
zones in accordance with the newly-passed bylaw on air
pollution," he added.

The chairman of the Organda Jakarta chapter, Herry Rotty, said
that the plan to rejuvenate the minivan fleet had come up at the
association's meeting earlier this month.

"Some owners expressed their concerns that they would have to
renew their fleets so as to continue attracting passengers amid
the possible emergence of new and better forms of public
transportation, such as more priority bus corridors, the monorail
or even a subway," Herry said.

Although the Jakarta Transportation Agency said it would
require Organda to keep fares as they were, Organda said that it
would have to "raise fares slightly" for the air-conditioned
minivans.

"We need the hikes to adjust to higher fuel consumption owing
to the use of powerful air-conditioners," Herry said.

He promised that the increase would not burden passengers.

Currently, fares range from Rp 1,000 to Rp 3,000 depending on
distance. A minivan can carry a maximum of 11 passengers.

Some Mikrolet passengers welcomed the plan, saying that they
would have no problem with slightly higher fares.

"That's good. It will be like taking a taxi with the cost
being shared among all the passengers. It must be much cheaper,"
said Lisa Gunawan, who takes the number 44 Mikrolet every day to
get to her office on Jl. Jend. Sudirman in South Jakarta from her
home in Jatinegara, East Jakarta.

Similarly, Abdul, a resident of Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta, who
often takes the number 16 Mikrolet from Pasar Minggun to Kampung
Melayu or the S15 Mikrolet from Pasar Minggu to Pasar Rebo, hoped
that Organda would hurry up and replace the clapped-out old
minivans across the city with new vehicles.