Price for minivan door apparatus set
JAKARTA (JP): The City Land Transportation and Traffic Control Agency (DLLAJ), bowing to pressure from transportation companies, has agreed to reduce prices of a special door apparatus for 12- seat minivans by more than 50 percent.
"We decided to cut the price of the apparatus from Rp 75,000 per vehicle to Rp 35,000 after a meeting with representatives of vehicles owners and executives of Organda (Land Transportation Owners' Association)," said Djuhdi, a divisional head of DLLAJ.
But Djuhdi told reporters yesterday that vehicle owners have to buy the equipment at workshops appointed by Organda.
"The 35,000 includes the installation fee," Djuhdi said.
The closed door policy as stipulated by the 1992 Traffic Law obliges the crew of all public transport vehicles throughout the capital city to close their doors while their vehicles in motion.
All public transport companies have conformed, except owners and drivers of minibuses, such as KWK, Mikrolet, and Angkutan Perkotaan, whose crew went on strike two months ago in protest of the implementation of the regulation.
Police have given owners of public transit vehicles, including the 12-seat minivans, until early next year to fully comply with the closed door policy.
In line with the new policy Organda has asked minivan owners to buy a special gadget which takes an hour to install and is priced at Rp 75,000 each. Such gadgets are available from FX Jacobus Jut, the owner of "Ave Maria" workshop in Bekasi.
This has sparked complains from minivans owners because the price is expensive.
The chairman of the Jakarta chapter of Organda, Aip Syaifuddin, said that most of the owners have been complaining about the price, the workshop's location and the time they have to spend to install it.
"We plan to appoint more workshops as dealers to install the apparatus to solve those problems," Aip said, adding that the organization has chosen more than 10 authorized workshops in the city.
Defend
Aip defended Organda's decision to implement a regulation which requires minivan owners to install door operating apparatus at certain workshops.
"Our intention is to help owners install high quality door operating appliances in their minivans," Aip said.
"We provide high quality appliances which could help them avoid big losses in the end," Aip said.
He explained that the price includes a one year guarantee and that it is better to buy a more expensive but durable door appliance rather than buying a cheap one of low quality.
He also mentioned the safety standards as drafted by the Vehicle Document Service. "The appliance recognized by Organda passes the standards, while the homemade one does not," Aip said.
Owners on the other hand doubt this, saying that there is no safety standardization in making the apparatus because there is no standard in making it.
"The design was made based on the one implemented in Bandung, how come they have fulfilled the safety requirements?" queried Talib, head of Kojang Jaya, a minivan cooperative.
He explained that many workshops have changed the original design to be simpler and easier to use and cheaper than the original.
"The price ranges from Rp 45,000 to Rp 75,000," Talib said.(yns)