Passengers divided on plans to limit taxis at airport

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)