Public vehicle drivers want illegal levies erased

JAKARTA (JP): Bus drivers demanded on Sunday the city administration eradicate illegal levies imposed on buses in order to help lower fares.

In response, city administration officials said the drivers' demand was impossible to satisfy because illegal levies had become so common in the transportation industry.

Interviewed separately by The Jakarta Post, drivers of minibuses and minivans said cutting illegal levies would be a significant step toward lowering bus fares in the capital.

Sobari, a driver of Kopaja minibus, said drivers and their assistants spent at least Rp 8,000 (US$1.20) per day paying the various illegal levies collected by both officials and hoodlums.

"The amount could raise to between Rp 20,000 and Rp 30,000 if we do 'something wrong'.

"This amount is of course too much for us compared to our average net income of about Rp 20,000 a day," he said.

"If the authorities can do something to stop such practices, I'd bring a little happiness to my wife and children by bringing a bit more money home," Sobari said.

He said drivers became the target of illegal levy collectors when they began working at 5:00 a.m.

"Why us, the poor people? And why doesn't the administration do anything to protect us," he asked.

Sobari's opinion was echoed by other drivers.

They said corrupt officials from the city land transportation agency (DLLAJ) were the first people to collect illegal levies from the drivers, demanding Rp 1,000 from each driver at bus terminals for what they called uang baris (queuing fee).

The drivers said they had no choice but to pay the DLLAJ officials, although bus owners pay an official levy which allows their buses to use bus terminals.

Herman, a driver's assistant, said he was worried the illegal levies would rise if the city administration went through with its planned bus fare hike.

"We really hope the administration cancels the plan (to raise fares) because it will only create a disaster for us," he said.

Herman said that from past experience, bus drivers and assistants were the victims of fare hikes, including fights with passengers upset with the increased fares.

"We don't want to become the victims of the fare increase. Last year, one of our friends was stabbed to death during a dispute over the fare," he said.

Herman said it was foolish to raise fares without first solving the associated problems.

Feri, a Marine taxi driver, said he quit his job as a mikrolet (minivan) driver after learning how much money he would have to pay in illegal levies.

"It really burdened mikrolet drivers," he said.

He said drivers were obliged to pay between Rp 500 and Rp 1,000 a day to a representative of the bus terminal authority.

"I don't know the reason for the payment, it's something like to 'show respect' to the authority," Feri said.

According to Sobari, the drivers had to spend thousands of rupiah paying passenger brokers at bus terminals and stations.

"Sometimes when passengers don't use their service, they still continue to demanded money from us, claiming the passenger got into our vehicle because of their service," he said.

Other payments are made to the police and hoodlums, he said.

When asked to comment, both the assistant to the city secretary for development affairs, Ongky Sukasah, and city land transportation agency head Buyung Atang only smiled.

"Who can eradicate such practices," Ongky told the Post.

"Don't ask us such questions," Buyung said.

The administration announced last week that fares for regular buses would rise to Rp 500 from Rp 100, for non-air-conditioned express and limited buses (PATAS) to Rp 900 from Rp 700, for minibuses to Rp 700 from Rp 500 and the fares for air-conditioned PATAS buses would go up to Rp 2,500 from Rp 2,300.

The administration also said the student fare would go up by Rp 100 to Rp 200.

Agus from the Indonesian Consumers Foundation, which was involved in discussions on the fare increases, said the announcement of the fare hikes was a political move.

"The administration only wants to please businesspeople in the public transportation industry without really solving the transportation problems," he said.(ind)