PPD to introduce direct payment system on 240 buses

PPD to introduce direct payment system on 240 buses

JAKARTA (JP): The state-owned city bus company, PPD, has said
that it will apply a direct payment system on 240 more buses
plying 16 routes despite strong protests from conductors.

"The board of directors has decided to expand the
implementation of the system because it is the best way to
improve the company's service to passengers as well to increase
the drivers' income," said Hamim Busro, a spokesman for the
company.

Busro told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the new payment
system, known locally as RMB, will improve the company's income.
The current deposit system on regular buses forces drivers or
their crew to pay a certain amount of money to the company every
day.

"Through the system the company is expected to receive more
income," said Busro, adding that drivers will receive monthly
wages of Rp 140,000 (US$64).

The old system requires the drivers or crews to pay the daily
deposit of Rp 130,000 per bus every half-day to the company
regardless of how much money they receive.

Some drivers have used the daily deposit system as an excuse
to cram as many passengers into their buses in order to augment
their income.

Busro said that 240 buses from six pools, pool A in Ciputat, D
in Kedaung, K in Daan Mogot, L in Jelambar, N in Depok and P in
Tangerang, will introduce the direct payment system in the near
future.

`RMB' buses

Unlike the regular buses where passengers pay fares to
conductors who open and close the doors every time passengers get
in or out, the RMB buses are equipped with fare boxes and
automatic doors.

The new RMB buses include P41 which plies the Kota-Kampung
Rambutan route, P54 which serves the Depok-Grogol route and P1 on
the Kota-Blok M route.

"The company will not raise bus fares when the new system is
introduced. They will remain the same--Rp 550 for Patas and Rp
250 for non-Patas buses," Busro added.

Busro reiterated that the company would not dismiss a total of
775 conductors from the six pools when the new system takes
effect.

"They will be sent to our training center for additional
training and then transferred to the technical department or
administrative bureaus. Some will be trained as drivers. So there
will be no massive dismissals as stated by the conductors," Busro
said.

On Monday a group of PPD conductors claiming to represent
around 1,000 conductors asked the House of Representatives (DPR)
to drop what they called the new, draconian policy of the state-
owned company because they feared for their jobs.

In actuality PPD has operated the RMB system since 1992. But
at the time it was called the RMB 55 and was used only on a
special route linking Rawamangun in East Jakarta and Pasar Baru
business district in Central Jakarta with 10 buses, several of
them air-conditioned.

The buses stop only at appointed bus shelters to pick up or
drop off passengers, unlike the ordinary buses which often pick
up or drop off passengers away from designated bus stops. The
buses also operate on schedule, providing certainty to passengers
as well as safety since the drivers are forbidden from speeding.

Meanwhile city councilors agreed to PPD's plan to retain their
idle conductors instead of laying them off.

"PPD can train them to become drivers or security guards,"
said councilor Muhammad Rodja of the United Development Party
(PPP) yesterday.

Rodja said that PPD needs more security guards to improve
security on its buses.

Councilor Mansyur Achmad from the Golkar faction concurred
with Rodja about PPD's plan to implement the direct payment
system.

"PPD can train the conductors to become mechanics or other
maintenance officials," said Mansyur, adding that PPD should
resort to dismissal only if all compromise attempts failed.
(09/yns)