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.