Rais confirms reports on city hall plan to add buses

JAKARTA (JP): Deputy Governor on Economy and Development Tb. M. Rais yesterday confirmed reports that the city plans to add 1000 wide-bodied buses to meet the growing demand for public transportation.

Rais said the new fleet will only ply main thoroughfares and will supplant the medium-sized buses on those routes.

"Next time, the main thoroughfares such as Jl. MH Thamrin and Jl. Jendral Sudirman, and a number of new main roads in the city, such as Jl. Casablanca and Jl. Arteri, will be free from medium- sized buses," Rais said, adding that the medium buses will run on smaller roads in the suburbs.

According to Rais, besides meeting the demands for adequate public transportation, the move is also designed to reduce traffic congestion on the major roads.

"The new permits will be given to only to bonafide businessmen," Rais said.

At present there are six firms operating wide-bodied city buses in the city, including the new Himpurna, owned by retired Armed Forces officers, PT Arion Paramitha Group, PT Tanda Widjaya Sakti and PT Bianglala Metropolitan.

Informed sources at the governor's office, who asked not to be named, said that beginning this year the municipal administration would no longer issue new permits for minibuses, such as the Metromini and Kopaja minibuses.

"The decision was taken based on a survey that the operation of wide-bodied buses is more safe and effective in tackling traffic jams in major roads," the sources said.

JP Sepang, head of the City Land Transportation and Traffic Control Office (DLLAJ) announced early this month the plan to make the change in public transportation has been kicked around since March, when an operation against illegal transit operations was begun.

The operation includes revocating the licenses of a public transport company to serve a given route if one of its vehicles cause traffic accidents or endanger the public's safety.

A more lenient action -- a one week driving suspension and impoundment of vehicles -- has also been applied to public transport companies whose drivers are found to have driven without complete driving documents, run the vehicles outside the given routes, not worn uniforms, dropped off passengers illegally, carried more passengers than safe, etc.

Rais said starting next month, the city administration will start to "put in the garage" all buses found guilty of the above mentioned violations. (11)