JP/2/BBM

Public transport drivers protest fuel price hike

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of people were left stranded as public minivan transportation drivers in Jakarta and many other cities across the country went on strike on Saturday to protest against a 30 percent hike in fuel prices.

The situation in the capital was relatively with no mass street protests taking place.

But in certain areas like Ciputat, South Jakarta, thousands of people were stranded for hours as hundreds of public transportation drivers staged a stoppage in protest.

The strike in Ciputat, which began at 1 p.m. and lasted for the rest of the day, involved the drivers of buses, minibuses and minivans.

"We reject the increase in fuel prices," said Glory Situmorang, a minivan driver.

He said that the drivers were not demanding an increase in fares as they did not want to place an undue burden on passengers.

Commenting on the government's subsidy for public transportation operators in connection with the fuel price hike, Situmorang said: "That's nonsense. It is only on the television."

Earlier on Saturday, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bahrul Alam said that the capital had been put on a level one alert footing following the announcement of the fuel price hike.

He also said that a total of 12,000 security personnel were deployed in anticipation of any untoward incidents in the capital.

As Saturday evening wore on, reports from Palembang, South Sumatra; Cirebon, Purwakarta, Subang and Karawang in West Java; Purbalingga, Central Java; and Samarinda, East Kalimantan; indicated that protest actions were being carried out peacefully.

Some local officials, fearful of having their cities paralyzed, quickly caved in to demands from drivers to raise fares in line with the higher fuel prices.

Palembang saw a partial strike by public minibus drivers on certain city routes.

However the strike was quite effective as it affected the major routes heading towards the center of the provincial capital.

Many stranded passengers had to cancel their plans for the day.

"I couldn't go to school today (Saturday) because there was no transportation," Edo, a high school student, said.

The strike, which began in the morning, eased later in the day after the drivers met with local councillors to air their demands for an increase in fares to take account of the fuel price hike.

The deputy speaker, Natsir Jafar, said the council had agreed to allow drivers to raise the basic fare per person from Rp 450 to Rp 800 for a trial two-day period while further consultations involving South Sumatra Governor Rosihan Arsyad were being held.

"We agreed to the demand but just for two days. Then we will decide on Monday after holding a meeting with the governor," Jafar said.

The local City Land Transportation Agency, with the help of the military, also stepped in to help relieve the transportation shortage by sending out an assortment of vehicles to help shuttle stranded passengers to their destinations.

In Samarinda, Antara reported that some 1,200 minivan drivers refused to serve their regular routes.

The strike was of particular concern as high schools were in the midst of conducting their semester exams, with the result that students were forced to seek whatever means they could to get to school.

Many ended up walking.

Samarinda city officials criticized the strike as they claimed it had already been agreed just days earlier that fares would go up by an average of 21 percent when the fuel price was raised by the central government.

City spokesman Yusradiansyah admitted that he was "saddened" by the actions of the drivers as an agreement on the fare increase had been concluded during negotiations on Wednesday with local councillors, drivers' representatives, students, the local City Land Transportation Agency and the city administration.

"During that meeting it was agreed that when fuel prices rose on June 15, the fares for public minivans would also go up," Yusradiansyah said.

He pointed out that the mayor had not signed the decree since the government abruptly postponed the hike before suddenly deciding to go ahead with it again on Friday.

He lamented the drivers' impatience pointing out that it was only a matter of days before the fare increase would become official.

In Purbalingga regency, all 211 public minivans ceased to operate for most of the day.

The drivers were demanding that they be allowed to raise the fare, which currently stands at Rp 700, to Rp 1,000.

The drivers, however, resumed services later in the evening after meeting with local councillors.

A meeting with officials in Purbalingga is expected to be held on Wednesday.

Strikes also broke out in several West Java towns, including Purwakarta.

"The government is trying to con the poor people. How could they make such an announcement (on raising fuel prices) at such a late hour," one driver in Purwakarta said.

The drivers had planned to take their minivans to the local council building to protest the decision. However, they decided to postpone their action as no councillor was available over the weekend.(33/45/sim/mds)