No third party behind drivers' strikes: Sutiyoso

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso ruled out allegations that a third party was behind the strikes in the past few days.

He said the strikes reflected the "pure" actions of drivers, and added he was ready to mediate between public transportation drivers, the City Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ) and the Organization of Land Transportation Owners, Organda.

On Wednesday, meetings between DLLAJ and Organda failed to reach an agreement.

Sutiyoso, who is also chairman of the Agency for Coordinating Support of National Stability city branch, said strikes were by drivers who were "upset with new additional fleets or too many fleets plying similar routes".

Meanwhile a councilor raised allegations of collusion between transportation authorities and bus company owners, which he said led to driver unrest.

Councilor Djafar Badjeber of the United Development Party city branch said collusion included issuing permits for routes.

"Both the agency and bus owners should realize that by issuing permits for their own interests, they had caused an overlap of some routes," Djafar said yesterday.

He urged the agency to evaluate the city's public transportation system to prevent further strikes.

Transportation agency officials in Jakarta and Bogor have not revealed the actual fee for route permits. Bus owners in both cities say permits range between Rp 1 million and Rp 18 million, depending on the number of potential passengers.

A study on Jakarta's transportation by the Bandung Institute of Technology's transportation laboratory, citing agency data, says that route permits for small buses cost Rp 75,000.

Meanwhile most drivers on strike in Bogor resumed work, except for those plying the Merdeka-Ciomas route and the Ciampea-Jasinga route.

Bogor Military District Commander Lt. Col. Mustofa said he deployed military officers along all routes to prevent drivers from damaging other drivers' vans who refused to strike.

Mustofa said he had deployed 100 military and city-owned trucks and buses to pick up stranded passengers.

For the first time during the strikes, the chief of the Bogor Land Transportation Agency, Endang Tabroni, admitted yesterday there were too many fleets.

Endang said he found out that 02A vans on the Sukasari-Merdeka route had increased from 256 licensed vehicles to 300 vehicles.

He said many unregistered vans operated in Bogor.

Earlier Bogor drivers said at least 1,800 unregistered vans operated in the city.

The strikes have benefited alternative transportation providers, including motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers.

Edi Sukarman, an ojek driver, said he earned Rp 25,000 (US$10.40) in two hours.

"I became an ojek driver because of the strikes," Edi, who is also an employee of a local cooperative, said.

In Jakarta, all drivers resumed work.

However Sudarman, an M01 minivan driver, said he and other drivers plying the Senen-Kampung Melayu route would strike again if their complaints did not receive a response from DLLAJ.

He said the presence of large private-owned Steady Safe buses, with a cheaper fare of Rp 300 on the same route, threatened their livelihood. Four other buses already passed similar routes, Sudarman said.

Other drivers, including those passing along the Kampung Melayu-Pasar Minggu route, said agency officials had promised them that the amount of buses would not increase.

A driver, Majid, said, "The office also pledged to abolish illegal levies commonly asked for by their unscrupulous employees at terminals."

He said drivers usually have to pay Rp 400 each time they enter and exit terminals.

"We have to set aside Rp 4,000 for them each day," Majid said. (24/jun/ste/03)