Public buses resume services, delays remain

Public buses resume services, delays remain

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Public transportation was returning to normal on Monday, but
drivers complained about a scarcity of fuel and a decrease in
their earnings as traffic jams continued to affect some roads due
to floodwater remaining at several locations.

Among the transportation that has returned to normal were city
buses serving bus terminals at Kampung Melayu, Kampung Rambutan
and Pulogadung in East Jakarta, Tanah Abang and Senen in Central
Jakarta, Blok M in South Jakarta and Kota in West Jakarta.

However, at other bus terminals, such as Grogol and Kalideres
in West Jakarta, a number of public minivans had not resumed
operation after four days of flooding had inundated most of the
city.

On Saturday and Sunday only a few of them were in operation as
many road sections were still inundated by floodwater.

Many of the drivers refused to serve their complete route and
avoided inundated sections, leaving many stranded passengers with
no choice but to use ojek (motorcycle taxis) at much higher
rates.

On Monday, commuters faced hours of delay as several major
roads leading to the central business district were partially
blocked by waist-high water. The toll road connecting Cawang to
Tanjung Priok was totally congested for most of the day.

Iskandar, a driver of a public minivan plying the Senen-
Kampung Melayu route said his income had dropped on Monday as
traffic jams had caused delays.

"Usually, I can make up to five return trips in half a day,
but today I was only able to make three by 1.p.m. My income
decreased by Rp 30,000," Iskandar told The Jakarta Post on
Monday.

Similar complaints were also expressed by Edi, a driver of a
Kopaja minibus serving the Tanah Abang-Kampung Melayu route. He
said that on Monday he was able to collect only Rp 20,000 by
12.30 p.m., compared with Rp 50,000 normally.

The traffic jam on Jl. Jatinegara Barat occurred as only one
lane of the road could be used. The other was used for setting up
aid posts.

Traffic jams were also observed on other roads, such as Jl.
Sudirman in Central Jakarta, Jl. Cileduk Raya in South Jakarta
and Jl. S. Parman in West Jakarta.

A number of gas stations have not yet returned to normal due
to the disruption of fuel distribution, also caused by the
flooding.

Gasoline at a fuel station in Kreo, Jl. Cileduk Raya, South
Jakarta had run out by 9 a.m. on Sunday, while the Kunciran gas
station on Jl. Raya Cipondoh, Tangerang, had run out on Saturday.

Trimarjoko, the owner of a fuel station in Kreo, Cileduk, said
he could not make contact with PT. Sesama Usaha Mitra Tama Ganda,
a partner of state fuel and gas company Pertamina, which usually
supplied premium gasoline to his pumps.

"I tried to phone the company, but there was no response.
Therefore, I do not know when premium will be delivered to my
fuel station," Joko told the Post on Monday. His station could
only sell diesel fuel on Monday.

He said PT Sesama Usaha Mitra Tama Ganda was a company that
also supplied eight gas stations owned by Taufik Kiemas, the
husband of President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Joko added the company always gave priority to Taufik's gas
stations and discriminated against others, including his own.

Meanwhile, gas stations at Kemandoran, Kebayoran Lama, South
Jakarta could only serve premium while diesel fuel and premix had
run out since Sunday.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro
acknowledged that there was a problem with distribution in
several areas in the capital as the tanker trucks could not reach
the locations.

Purnomo added that Pertamina had asked its Balongan refinery
to supply more fuel if the Plumpang depot could not operate due
to flooding. Other depots that could also be readied to supply
Jakarta included those in Tanjung Priok, Tanjung Gerem and
Padalarang.