Plan to abolish bus terminals opposed

Plan to abolish bus terminals opposed

JAKARTA (JP): Fearing the loss of bus terminals would cut
their income, public bus crews opposed on Saturday the city
administration's plan to abolish city bus terminals and replace
them with shelters.

Interviewed separately on Saturday, bus drivers and their
assistants said it would be difficult for them to get passengers
under the shelter system because the buses would be unable to
stop and wait for passengers.

Budi, a driver's assistant on a Metro Mini plying the Senen-
Setiabudhi route in Central Jakarta, said phasing out bus
terminals would create new problems of competition among drivers.

"Under the terminal system, we are allowed to queue and wait
for our passengers.

"If the vehicles are only allowed to pass by, drivers will
compete each other and therefore create worse traffic jams," he
said.

Budi added that bus crews also needed time to rest during the
workday.

"I think we will not have time to relax if buses are forbidden
from stopping (at bus terminals)," he said.

Darminto, who drives an air-conditioned Bianglala Patas bus,
said the city administration's plan to implement the shelter
system would not work for all bus routes.

"Most buses at the Blok M terminal (in South Jakarta) serve
long routes, while other terminals serve routes of different
lengths. So the shelter system cannot be implemented at terminals
where most buses serve short routes, like at Senen terminal (in
Central Jakarta).

"At such a terminal, the buses need to stop and wait," he
said.

The Blok M terminal is seen as an example of the new terminal
system. Vehicles at the terminal are not allowed to stop, but
simply pass through the proper lanes to let passengers on and
off.

As a result, however, the buses stop in other areas and cause
traffic congestion, as seen on Jl. Trunojoyo and Jl. Panglima
Polim, both in South Jakarta.

Also criticizing the proposal was John Saragih, an employee of
Satu Nusa intercity bus company, at Rawamangun bus terminal in
East Jakarta.

Saragih said it was impossible to change the Rawamangun
terminal into a mere transit point.

"The terminal is also used as an intercity bus terminal. It is
impossible to prohibit intercity buses from staying (at the
terminal). How could passengers wait for the bus then?

"I think we will stage a protest if the administration chooses
to implement the policy," he said.

The head of the City Traffic and Land Transportation Agency,
Buyung Atang, said on Thursday the administration was studying
the possibility of abolishing city bus terminals and turning them
into shelters to improve service.

"It's the ideal situation, where buses will only pass through
without having to stay at terminals waiting for passengers. We're
still studying the idea," Buyung told journalists during a break
in a coordination meeting at City Hall.

"We'll have only three terminals then for intercity buses.
City buses will pass through these terminals, of course. We will
also provide checkpoints along the routes. Currently, we have 24
large and small terminals," Buyung added.

The intercity bus terminals are Kampung Rambutan in East
Jakarta for buses plying routes to cities in West Java; Kalideres
terminal in West Jakarta for buses traveling to Sumatra; and
Pulogadung terminal in East Jakarta for buses heading to cities
in Central and East Java.

Buyung admitted the plan would cause the city to lose revenue
from the terminals.

"Not only from levies, but also from revenue from businesses
located in the terminals. There are usually public toilets,
telephones and food kiosks, especially in larger terminals," he
said, predicting a loss of some Rp 3.2 billion (US$426,666) a
year.

"However, we can compensate for some of this loss by charging
passengers entrance fees at the intercity bus terminals. We can
draw some Rp 1 billion per year from the three terminals," he
said.

The entrance fee at intercity bus terminals was Rp 100 before
it was abolished by Law No. 18/1997 on regional taxes and levies,
which did away with a large number of taxes and levies. The new
law on regional autonomy, however, restored the taxes and levies.

City Bylaw No. 3/1999 on city taxes and levies set the
entrance fee at Rp 200.

"I'm waiting for a gubernatorial decree before enacting the
entrance fee," Buyung said. (ind/nvn)