Rising Operating Costs Force Sumber Alam Bus Operator to Fight to Survive
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The surge in operating costs due to currency instability of the Rupiah and plans to raise various tax instruments are forcing bus companies (PO) to rethink their operations. Operators are now forced to find ways to survive so the business can continue without immediately burdening consumers with fare increases. One of the survival tactics used by operators is rationalisation or reduction of the number of fleet units operating on the ground.
“We cut operations. Usually, for example from Purworejo and Jogja it was 20 units, now summarised per agent to 15 or 12 units roughly,” said Anthony in Jakarta, Wednesday (20/5/2026).
Anthony explained that the reduction in units on the road automatically makes the use of spare parts and lubricants more efficient. Nevertheless, he emphasised that this step is purely an adjustment of fleet management, not cutting the maintenance budget which could endanger passenger safety.
This efficiency move was endorsed by the Chairman of the Indonesian Young Bus Entrepreneurs Association (IPOMI) Kurnia Lesani Adnan. According to the man known as Sani, trimming fleet utilisation is the most logical answer from operators amid the rising daily prices of bus components.
Sani revealed that the price of oil has surged sharply from under Rp 7.2 million to Rp 9.5 million. Not to mention the tyre price is projected to rise by around 20 percent in the near future.
“The logical question today, with those increases, what are operators doing that they have not raised fares yet? Well, we are utilising, we are adjusting,” Sani said.
Although this tactic of narrowing the fleet size helps in the short term, Anthony acknowledged that the bus POs ability to hold fares has its limits.
If economic conditions do not improve or there is a new policy related to fuel, fare adjustments will surely occur.
“Up to now it can still be managed by reducing operations. But at some point if it becomes impossible, then fares will indeed be raised,” Anthony said.