Kopaja criticizes policy on new buses

Kopaja criticizes policy on new buses

JAKARTA (JP): The city public transportation cooperative (Kopaja) has demanded simpler procedures in buying new buses for its members in efforts to them save money.

The head of the cooperative, V.W. Sijabat, said over the weekend that the current procedure is complicated and increases the price of new buses.

"Our members have been forced to buy new buses through the public transport owners association (Organda), while the price of buses is higher than that set by each make's sole distributor. We want to deal directly with the importers in the future, and the current procedure should be revised," Sijabat said.

He alleged that there was collusion between offices and institutions involved in the purchasing process.

He accused certain parties of maintaining the procedure for their own interests, with the cooperative members becoming the victims.

"We have never obligated them to buy the new buses through the organization," head of Organda Jakarta, Aip Sjarifuddin, told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

He said that many vehicle owners bought new vehicles from dealers at high prices.

Aip blamed the cooperative for not helping its members buy new buses.

He said that when vehicle owners intend to replace old fleets they make deals with dealers or middlemen without involving the cooperative.

The cooperative claims it can not purchases buses directly from sole distributors of different bus makes due to the procedures outlined by Organda.

Aip said, however, that the organization is prepared to help the cooperative deal directly with sole distributors.

"In this way the cooperative members would be able to save money as authorized distributors sell vehicles cheaper than dealers or brokers," he said.

A sole distributor may sell a bus for Rp 50 million, while a dealer's price may be Rp 51 million and a broker's Rp 53 million, he said. (yns)