Night transit service not feasible: Organda
JAKARTA (JP): The chairman of the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda), Aip Syaifudin, said yesterday that the public night transit system which has been on trial for a few days is an unprofitable project.
"Owners of public transit vehicles have suffered losses since the system took effect some 10 days ago," Aip said during an inspection tour to evaluate the night transportation system on Friday.
"It is not economically feasible because there is only a small number of people commuting at night," he said. "I even saw one bus with only five people on it during the inspection."
He said the owners of public transit vehicles which are operating at night have come across a lot of problems adjusting themselves to this new policy, regarded by many as the brainchild of the city Land Transportation and Traffic Control Agency (DLLAJ).
Citing an example, he said, because of the small number of people commuting at night, the vehicle owners cannot use the daily rent system imposed on the drivers who operate in the morning and afternoon hours.
"If the owners are forced to charge a similar amount of daily rent, they fear that many of their drivers will refuse to operate at night," Aip said.
He added that the daily rent given to them by the drivers was barely enough to cover operational costs, including payment for employees who have to work overtime, and mechanics.
Aip said that despite all of the constraints, Organda will continue operating night buses. "As good citizens we will have to obey all the government's policies."
DLLAJ has asked transportation companies operating wide-bodied buses to run at night in order to meet the demand for transit services from the public.
The idea of operating night buses actually came from several City Councilors who raised the issue last July.
They said a night transportation system would be useful for people who travel home late because they work overtime.
Rp 1,000
Meanwhile, PT Metro Mini has proposed that the fare for night public vehicles be raised from the current Rp 300 to Rp 1,000 "The fare must be immediately raised. Otherwise we will not be able to cover operational costs," Johanes Damanik, the PT Metro Mini business development director, said.
He said that a fare hike is indispensable because the obligation to operate the company's fleets at night will only cause losses to the owners.
Johanes said there are a lot of additional expenses that should be covered as a result of operating this night transit system.
He said minibuses can only accommodate 25 passengers each at the most, and have to wait for a long time for passengers at night.
The head of the Koperasi Angkutan Jakarta (Kopaja) cooperative, C. H. Sunarto, expressed similar complaints, saying that in one night a bus driver can only collect Rp10,000, which is not enough to cover everything needed.
"How can a driver pay a daily rent if all he can earn is just Rp 10,000 ?" he asked.
Kopaja, which has a fleet of 1,315 mini buses, is ready to operate at night, provided that DLLAJ review the fare policy, Sunarto said.
He has proposed to DLLAJ that his company operate 150 buses at night. (bas/yns)