'No way for Sinar Jaya bus company'

'No way for Sinar Jaya bus company'

Nana Rukmana and Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Tegal

The Land Transportation Organization (Organda) said it and the
Directorate General for Land Transportation were inching closer
towards revoking the operation permit for bus company PO Sinar
Jaya following 21 deaths in three days.

Organda chairman Dadan Irawan Sarpingi said Organda, police
and the directorate general responsible for the permit believed
it should be revoked because of the company's poor performance.

"We and the government have no other alternative than to
revoke the operation permit ... The main reason is that the
company's management has failed to discipline its reckless
drivers. It has been warned many times. Each time we gave
warnings for crashes, the management apologized and vowed to
discipline but no action was taken, causing numerous fatalities
that have claimed very many lives over the last two years."

At least 19 were killed and ten others injured when a Sinar
Jaya bus traveling to Wonosobo from Jakarta exploded in flames
after hitting drums of kerosene and four houses in Slawi on
Friday.

The incident occurred after the bus driver asked an
unlicensed crew member to drive.

The three members of the bus crew, Fachrur Rozi, Mukrir and
Syachroni, have been named suspects in the incident.

One more was killed and another one was wounded when PO
Langgeng Jaya operated by the bus company smashed into the rear
of a sedan at the Cikampek tollroad early on Sunday.

Organda data shows the company was responsible for eight
accidents which have claimed more than 50 lives in the past two
years.

Dadan added the directorate general was expected to announce
the heaviest sanction against the bus company this week.

Tegal Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr Moch. Iriawan said on Sunday
that he had proposed the government revoke the bus company's
operations permit.

According to Dadan, Organda was reviewing the operation
permit of two other bus companies PO Luragung and PO Sahabat
plying the Cirebon-Jakarta and Cirebon-Merak routes

Angry groups were stoning passing Sinar Jaya buses in Central
Java on Sunday.