Public transport drivers protest fuel price hike

Public transport drivers protest fuel price hike

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of people were left stranded as public
minivan transportation drivers in Jakarta and many other cities
across the country went on strike on Saturday to protest against
a 30 percent hike in fuel prices.

The situation in the capital was relatively with no mass
street protests taking place.

But in certain areas like Ciputat, South Jakarta, thousands of
people were stranded for hours as hundreds of public
transportation drivers staged a stoppage in protest.

The strike in Ciputat, which began at 1 p.m. and lasted for
the rest of the day, involved the drivers of buses, minibuses and
minivans.

"We reject the increase in fuel prices," said Glory
Situmorang, a minivan driver.

He said that the drivers were not demanding an increase in
fares as they did not want to place an undue burden on
passengers.

Commenting on the government's subsidy for public
transportation operators in connection with the fuel price hike,
Situmorang said: "That's nonsense. It is only on the television."

About a dozen people were also detained by police on Saturday
night after an anti fuel price hike protest reportedly held by
the City Forum (Forkot).

The protesters were arrested for allegedly inciting public
transportation drivers to go on strike.

Earlier on Saturday, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton
Bahrul Alam said that the capital had been put on a level one
alert footing following the announcement of the fuel price hike.

He also said that a total of 12,000 security personnel were
deployed in anticipation of any untoward incidents in the
capital.

As Saturday evening wore on, reports from Palembang, South
Sumatra; Cirebon, Purwakarta, Subang and Karawang in West Java;
Purbalingga, Central Java; and Samarinda, East Kalimantan;
indicated that protest actions were being carried out peacefully.

Some local officials, fearful of having their cities
paralyzed, quickly caved in to demands from drivers to raise
fares in line with the higher fuel prices.

Palembang saw a partial strike by public minibus drivers on
certain city routes.

However the strike was quite effective as it affected the
major routes heading towards the center of the provincial
capital.

Many stranded passengers had to cancel their plans for the
day.

"I couldn't go to school today (Saturday) because there was no
transportation," Edo, a high school student, said.

The strike, which began in the morning, eased later in the day
after the drivers met with local councillors to air their demands
for an increase in fares to take account of the fuel price hike.

The deputy speaker, Natsir Jafar, said the council had agreed
to allow drivers to raise the basic fare per person from Rp 450
to Rp 800 for a trial two-day period while further consultations
involving South Sumatra Governor Rosihan Arsyad were being held.

"We agreed to the demand but just for two days. Then we will
decide on Monday after holding a meeting with the governor,"
Jafar said.

The local City Land Transportation Agency, with the help of
the military, also stepped in to help relieve the transportation
shortage by sending out an assortment of vehicles to help shuttle
stranded passengers to their destinations.

In Samarinda, Antara reported that some 1,200 minivan drivers
refused to serve their regular routes.

The strike was of particular concern as high schools were in
the midst of conducting their semester exams, with the result
that students were forced to seek whatever means they could to
get to school.

Many ended up walking.

Samarinda city officials criticized the strike as they claimed
it had already been agreed just days earlier that fares would go
up by an average of 21 percent when the fuel price was raised by
the central government.

City spokesman Yusradiansyah admitted that he was "saddened"
by the actions of the drivers as an agreement on the fare
increase had been concluded during negotiations on Wednesday with
local councillors, drivers' representatives, students, the local
City Land Transportation Agency and the city administration.

"During that meeting it was agreed that when fuel prices rose
on June 15, the fares for public minivans would also go up,"
Yusradiansyah said.

He pointed out that the mayor had not signed the decree since
the government abruptly postponed the hike before suddenly
deciding to go ahead with it again on Friday.

He lamented the drivers' impatience pointing out that it was
only a matter of days before the fare increase would become
official.

In Purbalingga regency, all 211 public minivans ceased to
operate for most of the day.

The drivers were demanding that they be allowed to raise the
fare, which currently stands at Rp 700, to Rp 1,000.

The drivers, however, resumed services later in the evening
after meeting with local councillors.

A meeting with officials in Purbalingga is expected to be held
on Wednesday.

Strikes also broke out in several West Java towns, including
Purwakarta.

"The government is trying to con the poor people. How could
they make such an announcement (on raising fuel prices) at such a
late hour," one driver in Purwakarta said.

The drivers had planned to take their minivans to the local
council building to protest the decision. However, they decided
to postpone their action as no councillor was available over the
weekend.(33/45/sim/ylt)