Public transportation

Public transportation

From Warta Kota

The recently introduced fuel price hike has prompted the Jakarta chapter of the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) to demand that public transportation fares be similarly raised on the grounds that, for example, maintenance costs and the price of spare parts have also risen.

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso agreed to this demand and approved a bus fare hike of 30 percent as of July 3, 2001, much lower than the 100 percent hike that Organda has asked for.

Though relatively small percentagewise, the public has reacted strongly to this public transportation fare hike.

For people who earn enough only to keep body and soul together, life is getting increasingly difficult as fuel price hikes and the increase in public transportation fares will be followed by price hikes for practically all commodities.

Public transportation users are usually upset to find that despite the higher fares, Organda has not improved its services. Buses in poor condition are still allowed to take passengers, while hardly any control is exercised upon the behavior of bus crews when doing their jobs.

Let me give an example of this poor service. On July 2, I took a bus plying the Kampung Rambutan-Blok M route through Mampang. There were about 15 passengers on the bus and when we got stuck in a traffic jam somewhere in Mampang, the bus conductor quite thoughtlessly asked all the passengers to get off the bus and get on another one. That was really a bad day for me, as on the same day I had the same experience somewhere in Gajah Mada while traveling by bus from Blok M to Kota.

Upon the complaints of the passengers, the bus conductor simply said that they would be taking a different route. Organda should realize that professionalism is sorely needed in the public transportation sector. Please, do not just reap profits from this business at the expense of service.

TROY SAPUTRA

Jakarta