Public, experts oppose bus fares hike plan

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Jakarta administration's plan to increase bus fares later this week met with strong opposition on Monday from commuters, bus drivers, activists and experts.

Fahmi, a student at a private university in Ciputat, South Jakarta, noted that the public had been burdened with the ongoing economic crisis, and that they could not afford to take on any additional burdens.

"If the bus fares are raised, then it will push other prices up. We can no longer afford that," he said here on Monday.

The Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) proposed to Governor Sutiyoso last week to raise bus fares, particularly for buses using diesel fuel, by up to 50 percent to help bus owners offset the rising prices of fuel and spare parts since last year.

The current bus fares were set in May 2002 when diesel fuel still cost Rp 1,400 (15 US cents) a liter. Currently, the diesel fuel costs Rp 1,650 per liter.

Experts have said that if the government had to approve of Organda's plan to raise fares, it should ensure the rise is proportionate to the increasing prices of fuel and spare parts.

A transportation expert at the University of Indonesia, Alan Marino, deemed that an increase by over 20 percent of current bus fares was an exaggeration, upon learning that the increase in fuel price -- the major component of bus fares -- was less than 10 percent.

"If bus maintenance expenditure was the reason (for the increase rate), I know from field checks that spare parts prices have not significantly increased, especially the non-branded, mass-produced products made in China, which are usually used in buses," he told The Jakarta Post.

Andi, a driver of bus No. 616 plying the route from Blok M bus terminal to Pasar Minggu, said the bus fare increase would not give any benefits to drivers and commuters because it would only justify bus operators to increase their rental fees.

Chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI), Indah Suksmaningsih, demanded the administration consider the people's purchasing power before approving the fare hike.

"YLKI's latest survey shows that middle-class Jakartans spend 25 percent of their monthly income on public transportation. The ideal figure is around 10 percent to 12 percent," she told the Post.

"Should the administration find the increase to be inevitable, the administration needs to subsidize fares for commuters who are from the low- to middle-income groups," she remarked.

Mursilah, 36, a resident of Bekasi, is one such example. She has to change buses four times before reaching her place of work in Melawai, South Jakarta, where she is employed as a cleaning service staff. Working six days a week, she spends around Rp 240,000 every month on transportation, which is more than 80 percent of her total monthly salary.

"But what else I can do?" she asked, "I cannot find a job closer to my house."