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.