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)