Over 100 taxis ticketed for charging unauthorized fares

Over 100 taxis ticketed for charging unauthorized fares

JAKARTA (JP): City Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ)
officials on Monday ticketed over 100 taxis, mostly from the
biggest taxi company, Blue Bird, for ignoring the agency's
warning letter not to charge passengers the new rates, an
official said.

DLLAJ head, Buyung Atang, said his men would continue the raid
against vehicles from disobedient taxi firms and would even
impose severe penalties such as confiscating taxis which have
been ticketed three times.

By late afternoon, the operation had already ticketed 116
taxis, he said.

"Most of the offending taxis were from the Blue Bird group,"
Buyung said on the sidelines of the Jakarta Regional Council
plenary session.

None of the Blue Bird group's executives could be reached for
comment.

According to Buyung, those ticketed in the raid should attend
the district court trials in which they could face a maximum
penalty of a Rp 2 million fine.

Prior to the raid, the DLLAJ office had distributed warning
letters to all taxi companies operating in Jakarta, ordering them
not to use the new fare on the grounds that the regulation has
yet to receive the green light from the city councilors or an
official announcement from Governor Sutiyoso.

Through Gubernatorial Decree No. 2503 dated Aug. 22, the
administration agreed to hike the flag fall from Rp 2,000 (25
U.S.cents) to Rp 3,000, the meter charge from Rp 900 per
kilometer to Rp 1,300 per kilometer and the waiting fee from Rp
10,000 to Rp 13,000 per hour.

Sutiyoso contended on Monday that he agreed to the hike to
save most taxi companies from bankruptcy on the recommendation of
his staff who had conducted months of survey.

"But if the decision burdens the passengers, then the
councilors can always reject the regulation because it has not
yet been discussed with them," the governor said.

Most passengers were surprised to learn about the new fare on
Friday as it was not preceded by an official announcement. The
Blue Bird group had even adjusted most of their taxi's meters to
the new fare.

Other companies only provided a table of the new price list to
their drivers but withdrew it on Sunday.

The fare hike was based on the proposal by the Organization of
Land Transportation Owner's (Organda) Jakarta chapter, claiming
that the hike was important for the taxi business to avoid
bankruptcy and to save other related lines of works.

However, Sutiyoso said on Friday that since the official
announcement for the fare hike had yet to be made, he ordered the
DLLAJ to take stern action against any taxis charging passengers
the new rate.

A councilor from the United Development Party (PPP) Ali Imron
Husein said on Monday that the council will summon DLLAJ on
Tuesday to, among other things, seek clarification on the issue.

"We also plan to summon Organda about the decree after we have
heard DLLAJ's explanation," Ali said.

Ali said his commission, which covers land transportation, has
yet to receive any letter from the governor about the fare hike.

"I find it strange that if the governor had submitted the
decree to the council on Aug. 22, why haven't we seen the letter
about the increase yet.

This seems impossible," he added.

Protests on the fare hike on Monday also came from a number of
Blue Bird taxi drivers, who demanded Sutiyoso retract the
regulation. (dja)