Rais confirms reports on city hall plan to add buses
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)