No public transportation fare proposal made yet

No public transportation fare proposal made yet

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration had yet to receive a proposal on
increased public transportation fares from the special team set
up to conduct a survey on the fare situation in Jakarta.

Public transportation operators in the city have been
demanding that the administration issue a decree raising the
fares for economy class buses following the central government's
decision to increase fuel prices, as well as electricity and
telephone charges, on Jan. 1.

The government, however, agreed on Wednesday to postpone the
telephone charge increase, while promising to review its decision
to raise electricity and fuel prices.

"I haven't received any proposals yet for an increase in
public transportation fares," Governor Sutiyoso told reporters at
City Hall.

"But if the central government cancels the fuel price hike,
then transportation fares should be kept at their current
levels," he explained.

Sutiyoso also said that he would make careful calculations
before raising fares and wait until the central government made a
final decision on fuel prices.

Last Wednesday, the City Transportation Agency formed a team
to monitor the prices of automotive spare parts and passenger
densities on various city transportation routes.

The last hike in bus fares was in May last year, when the
administration increased fares by an average of 14 percent. At
that time, diesel prices were raised from Rp 1,250 to Rp 1,400
per liter.

The fares stayed the same even though the diesel price was
raised again to Rp 1,50 last August. This year, the price was
further raised to Rp 1,890.

The team initially consisted of transportation officials,
representatives from the Organization of Land Transportation
Owners (Organda), the Indonesian Consumers' Foundation (YLKI),
and journalists.

But YLKI officials and journalists resigned from the team
fearing possible conflicts of interest.

The head of the YLKI's law and advocacy division, Tulus Abadi,
told The Jakarta Post that the resignations had been made as the
YLKI was against the fuel price increases.

Tulus said that instead of demanding fare hikes, which would
put the burden on passengers, public transportation operators
should adopt "smarter tactics" like protesting to the central
government against the fuel price hikes.

The operators and drivers could also press their demands for
various incentives such as for a portion of the fuel compensation
subsidy to be paid to the transportation sector, he said.

Organda had earlier stated that it would not ask for a fare
increase but demanded that the government pay a subsidy instead.
The operators later changed their minds after the administration
rejected their demand for the subsidy.

The government is set to disburse Rp 4.43 trillion as part of
a compensation package nationwide, of which Rp 190 billion will
be channeled through the Ministry of Transportation.

Last year, the compensation package stood at Rp 2.85 trillion
with the ministry receiving the same amount.

Jakarta, however, did not get any funds to subsidize the
transportation sector from its Rp 46.73 billion compensation
package last year.