Road tolls rise by 25 percent
Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Starting at midnight on Tuesday, toll road charges across the country were raised by about 25 percent on average, despite complaints that the operators have failed to provide adequate services to the public.
The toll charge for Type I vehicles (sedans and other light vehicles) in the Jakarta inner-ring road network -- notorious for traffic jams during rush hours -- was increased to Rp 4,000 (44 U.S. cents) from the previous Rp 3,000.
"However, public buses are exempt from the increase, and therefore, the public need not worry," said Kariman Usman from the House of Representatives Commission IV, which oversees infrastructure and transportation affairs.
He was accompanying Minister of Settlements and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno who announced the increase in a news conference at the latter's office in Jakarta.
The toll road operators defended the rise by saying that despite inflation, the companies had not increased toll charges since 1992, while they also needed to raise funds to develop new toll roads nationwide.
Meanwhile, the public has widely criticized the increase and questioned the operators' commitment to improve current road services.
"I do not understand why we have to help finance toll road networks as we do not get anything in return, such as a system to lessen traffic congestion in the Jakarta inner-ring road. I honestly question their management for failing to seek their own source of funding to develop new road networks," said Vivian Idris, a film publicist who uses toll roads daily.
PT Jasa Marga, the largest toll operator, has reportedly incurred losses of up to Rp 7.55 trillion, half of which were the result of internal mismanagement.
A report on the losses was made by a public accountants office, Hadi Susanto and Partners, in cooperation with PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC), based on the company's activities between the period of January 1995 and December 1999.
----------------------------------------------------------------
New Jakarta Toll Charges ----------------------------------------------------------------
Type I Type I Type IIA Type IIA Type IIB
public public ---------------------------------------------------------------- Jakarta inner Toll road 4,000 2,000 5,000 2,000 6,500 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Serpong -- Pd. Aren 2,500 2,000 4,500 3,500 5,500 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Jagorawi: Taman Mini 1,000 500 1,000 800 1,000 Dukuh 1,000 500 1,000 800 1,000
Cikampek: Pd. Gede Barat 1,000 500 1,000 800 1,000 Pd. Gede Timur 1,000 500 1,000 800 1,000
Tangerang: Kebon Jeruk 1,000 500 1,000 800 1,000 Meruya 1,000 500 1,000 800 1,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Type I : sedans, jeeps, pick-ups and small trucks, medium buses Type I public : small and medium buses Type IIA : large buses and truck with two axles Type IIA public: large buses with two axles Type IIB : large buses and trucks with three axles
Source: Ministry for Settlements and Regional Infrastructure ----------------------------------------------------------------