More minivan drivers go on strike over additional buses

JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of public transportation minivan drivers went on strike yesterday causing hundreds of passengers between Pasar Minggu and Kampung Melayu areas to be stranded.

But passengers still had the option of taking other buses passing similar routes.

Several drivers planned to complain to the House of Representatives over too many additional vans plying similar routes.

They said there were already 400 vans plying route M16 and the strike was triggered by the addition of 20 new vans.

Similar strikes were staged by drivers plying between the Kampung Melayu and Pulo Gadung terminals, in East Jakarta and in Bogor.

Streets along Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta and Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta were absent of M16 vans, since drivers pooled their vehicles at the Kampung Melayu terminal at about 6 a.m.

The Kampung Melayu terminal looked less crowded than usual and traffic congestion was less between the two terminals.

One of the drivers, Darno, said his income had significantly dropped since the addition of the new vans.

Soembogo, a staffer of a cooperative which had several M16 vans, blamed the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda), who determined the route, and the City Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ), who issued the permits, without considering possible consequences.

Organda and DLLAJ have acknowledged that there were too many overlapping routes and buses, "but they have behaved inconsistently," Soembogo, of the East Jakarta branch Purimas Jaya cooperative, said.

Soembogo, also a driver, demanded that the agency evaluate every possible route to prevent unhealthy competition.

"Drivers would like to serve the public but drivers demand a better planned public transportation system," he said.

The head of the Kampung Melayu terminal, Mufreini, said there were many public transportation vehicles with overlapping routes which lead to Pasar Minggu.

He expected conditions would return to normal today.

In Bogor, 300 minivans went on strike because too many new buses were operating the Sukasari-Merdeka route.

Bagio, one of the drivers, said his income had dropped from Rp 15,000 a day to Rp 10,000 a day.

Rumors were spreading about new medium-sized buses operating on a similar route, but the local transportation agency said their office had not issued any permit for a new route since December.

Endang Tabroni, the head of the agency, said the Bogor township had 1,885 public transport vehicles. Endang promised to conduct a survey on public transportation in the township. (jun/10/24)