Passengers divided on plans to limit taxis at airport

JAKARTA (JP): Taxi consumers are divided on plans to limit the number of taxi firms operating at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport starting next month.

But they all urged airport authorities of PT Angkasa Pura II to tighten the control on taxi firms whose drivers refused to use the meter.

Airport authorities said Thursday that 25 firms would be limited to 10, in a bid to reduce complaints against taxi services.

Councilor Bandjar Marpaung said it was "high time" PT Angkasa Pura II did something about taxis at the airport.

Referring to frequent complaints of taxi drivers refusing to use their meters, a member of the council's Commission D in charge of development said "the practice eventually ruins the image of the airport".

He said the plans, which include enforcing the rule that drivers stand by until the last plane arrived, would greatly help people who arrived late.

The Indonesian Consumers Foundation welcomed the plan.

Chairperson Tini Hadad said, "I think 10 taxi firms operating there is quite enough and each should use their meter.

"The society will benefit from the new policy. As long as the taxis put the meter on, the public will feel safe."

But two consumers said they feared taxis would be even harder to find if the plan went into effect.

Maya Vianti, a graduate student at the University of Indonesia's School of Management, said she agreed with the plan if there were more airport shuttle buses.

"More shuttle buses should be easily accessible for travelers," she said.

Taufiq Rahmat of the Indo-Ad advertising firm said, "Wouldn't taxis be even more difficult to find if there were less companies operating?"

"The buses are not always available," he said. He suggested authorities tighten controls on existing drivers.

But tighter measures would be difficult, said Angkasa Pura II administrator Mulyono DH. Even the reduction of taxi firms at the airport would not guarantee negative practices among legal and illegal taxis could be stopped, he said.

President director of the public relations Ida Sudoyo and Associates firm, Ida Sudoyo, said she disagreed with the plan.

"I disagree. It's not really fair. They (the government) should not cut the number of taxi firms at the airport. The reason is there are too many taxi companies in Jakarta."

She said the government should tighten regulations and warn companies whose drivers refused to use the meter.

For example, she said, after a company received two warning letters, a taxi company should not be allowed to operate at the airport any longer.

Tini urged authorities to punish illegal and legal taxis refusing to use their meters.

Tini said newcomers to Jakarta were confused which taxis were legal or illegal.

"Authorities have not done anything about them," she said. As everyone knows they exist at the airport, the government should be fair and abolish illegal taxis, while limiting legal taxi firms, she said. (ste/dph/anr)