Only 10 taxi firms will be allowed to operate at airport

JAKARTA (JP): The number of taxi companies operating at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will be limited to 10 starting next month, an airport authority said yesterday.

The authority, requesting anonymity, said the 10 firms have been selected, but uncertainty of what may happen during the general election led them to postpone the announcement.

The state-owned PT Angkasa Pura II's airport administrator, Mulyono D.H., said the plan to limit the number of taxi companies operating at the airport was based on public complaints.

"The complaints were filed directly to the company and from the airport poll's 1,400 valid responses," Mulyono said yesterday.

The responses, which Mulyono said were drawn from a poll since last year, revealed various complaints. These included passengers difficulties in getting taxis late at night.

Mulyono said the Ministry of Transportation's Directorate General on Land Transport had been consulted on the plan.

"The plan has been approved and will start next month right after the general election," Mulyono said.

After the plan becomes effective, he said taxis selected to operate at the airport should stand by until the arrival of the last plane.

There are 25 taxi companies now operating at the airport. All are required to have airport stickers.

Since 1972, the administration issued licenses for 28 companies to operate 20,298 taxis.

But some of the airport's taxis were operating illegally. Several taxis did not have airport stickers and drivers often refused to use their meters.

When asked whether the plan guaranteed all taxis would not operate illegally, Mulyono said he was not sure.

"Naughty" drivers could be found everywhere, he said.

Passengers insisting the meter be used have been known to be dumped by drivers on the roadside.

The standard taxi flagfall is Rp 1,500 (64 U.S.cents) with an additional Rp 550 for every kilometer.

Mulyono said the airport management was also planning to impose a minimum surcharge for passengers, including for those using taxis for close destinations. He declined to state the amount.

He said the airport has started imposing sanctions on drivers who illegally park their vehicles at the airport. "We're going to lock their wheels and they will have to pay Rp 50,000 (US$21.3) to have the wheels unlocked."

Mulyono said the airport management had filed complaints of tourism firm customers to the Director General of Tourism. He said the operators had neglected clients who wanted to conduct umroh (small haj) to Mecca.

Some of them, he said, had to spend two nights at the airport due to incomplete procedures by tourism operators. "So far, no action has been taken," Mulyono said.

The airport management is trying to find them a place to stay the night, he said. (icn/ste)