Minivan drivers cry foul over buses

JAKARTA: Some 100 public minivan drivers and owners gathered at the City Council in Central Jakarta to protest overlapping routes with public buses, which they said had cut into their income.

The protesters, who work the route from the Kali Deres bus terminal in West Jakarta to Kota Station, asked the City Transportation Agency to intervene and force the buses to return to their original routes.

Edi Pasaribu, one of the minivan drivers, said Metro Mini buses had taken most of the minivans' passengers.

"Since the opening of temporary routes for Metro Mini 84 buses in late 2001, our income has dropped from Rp 80,000 (US$9.40) a day to just Rp 15,000," Edi said.

The original route for these buses was from the Kali Deres terminal to Daan Mogot, Pesing, Tubagus Angke, Tembatan III, Bandengan Utara, Pasar Ikan and Kota. The current route is the Kali Deres terminal to Daan Mogot, the Cengkareng-Kamal Raya toll road and Kota.

Edy said commuters from Kali Deres, Cengkareng and Kamal Raya preferred the buses because they took the toll road, which made the trip shorter. -- JP