Wed, 20 Dec 2000

Organda threatened with sanctions

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration will take stern measures against the Association of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) if the association forces all taxi operators to apply the new fare, an official said on Tuesday.

Chairman of the City Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ) Buyung Atang asked the taxi operators to send formal complaints to his office if Organda forced them to charge the new fare, saying that the governor's approval for the fare hike did not mean that it was compulsory for all taxi companies.

"If Organda exerts pressure and threatens to sabotage the replacement of aging taxis, we will take action against Organda as the association does not have the authority to act in such a manner," Buyung said on Tuesday.

He further said that his office was the only agency in the city authorized to issue permits for the replacement of aging taxis.

"Taxi companies should deal with the DLLAJ instead of Organda.

"The replacement of aging taxis does not concern Organda at all," Buyung said.

The local media has reported that Organda had forced all taxi companies to apply the new fare hike, saying that otherwise the association would hamper the replacement of aging taxis if they failed to do so.

After two months of delay due to strong opposition from the public and many taxi drivers, the 45.54 percent hike in taxi fares in the capital took effect on Nov. 18, after Governor Sutiyoso gave his approval.

Under the new fare regime, the flag fall is Rp 3,000 (around 30 U.S. cents), up from Rp 2,000 and the price for each subsequent kilometer has increased to Rp 1,300 from Rp 900.

The waiting fee has also been increased to Rp 13,000 from Rp 10,000 per hour.

The new fare regime was put into effect by Gubernatorial Decree No. 2503/2000 dated Aug. 22, 2000.

Three of the 32 taxi operators in the capital had declared their refusal to implement the new hike, namely PT Citra Taxi, PT Kosti Jaya and PT Steady Safe.

However, a few weeks after the implementation of the new fare, several other taxi companies followed these three firms in refusing to apply the new fare.

Sutiyoso has stated that each taxi operator is free to decide whether to apply the new fare or the old one.

Separately, an executive of Organda's taxi unit Ateng Aryono issued a clarification stating that the association was forcing all taxi companies which agreed with the fare hike to have their taxi meters adjusted before Jan. 1, 2001.

"We did not force the taxi companies to apply the new fare, but those who have stated their willingness to do so should adjust their taxi meters and stop using the conversion table," Ateng told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

"It is not true that we want all taxis to charge the same fare," he added. (dja)