Organda threatened with sanctions

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)