Lack of regular buses to be evaluated

JAKARTA (JP): A meeting between city officials and bus owners will be held today to evaluate the lack of Rp 300-fare (12 U.S. cents) buses on designated routes.

Chairman of the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) city-branch, Aip Syarifuddin, said the City Land Transportation Control Agency had given bus owners until June 30 to operate all their regular buses.

"Yesterday (Tuesday) was the last day for bus companies to operate all their regular buses, otherwise their permits will be temporarily revoked," Aip said.

"The agency said it had received complete reports on the disappearance of regular buses from the city's five mayoralties," Aip said yesterday.

He said the agency claimed it would no longer tolerate bus owners' excuses for not operating regular buses.

Many people complained earlier this month of having to pay at least Rp 700 on routes on which Rp 300-fare buses were meant to operate, saying they seemed to be nonexistent.

Fares are Rp 700 on non air-conditioned, limited passenger (Patas) buses and Rp 1,800 on air-conditioned Patas buses.

"Most bus companies depend on profit from AC Patas buses to subsidize regular buses," Aip said.

Bus owners claim they operate at a loss.

Assistant secretary of economic and development affairs, Prawoto S. Danoemihardjo, said Monday the Land Transportation Agency was proposing to raise the fare, after Governor Surjadi Soedirdja acknowledged that Rp 300 was too low.

A figure has not been revealed.

Bus owners are subject to a 1996 rule of the Ministry of Transportation which states they must operate 40 air-conditioned Patas and 30 regular, Rp 300-fare buses to every 30 non air- conditioned Patas buses.

Following complaints from the public earlier this year, bus companies were found to be using several of their regular buses as non air-conditioned Patas buses.

The transportation agency's findings into the nonexistence of regular buses on the road, announced in March, showed that out of 1,679 low-fare buses, only 439 were operating.

Agency chief J.P. Sepang gave all bus companies until June 30 to operate their regular buses, saying owners would have their permits revoked otherwise.

The agency temporarily prohibited several bus companies from operating, including state-run bus company PPD for operating only 207 of its 535 regular buses.

The PT Mayasari Bhakti bus company was temporarily banned for operating only 176 of its 287 regular buses and PT Ikawali Pusaka for operating only eight out of its 15 buses.

PT Steady Safe Arion operated only 33 of its 56 Rp 300-fare buses, PT Bianglala Metro operated six out of 50 and PT Giri Indah operated none of its 15 regular buses.

Ideally, Aip said, the city should operate more air- conditioned Patas buses to cover operational costs of low-fare buses. Buses plying 217 routes consist of 1,900 non air- conditioned Patas buses, 672 air-conditioned Patas buses and 1,119 regular buses. (ste)