Rp 300 bus fare too low, says Governor Surjadi

Rp 300 bus fare too low, says Governor Surjadi

JAKARTA (JP): The city said yesterday it was studying bus
owner's inability to operate Rp 300 fare buses, but fell short of
saying that fares should be increased.

In a speech addressed to the City Council, Governor Surjadi
Soedirdja said that, after a meeting with bus owners, "regular
bus fares are no longer adequate to cover operational costs".

Deputy Governor of Economic and Development Affairs Tb.M. Rais
read the speech on behalf of Surjadi at the plenary meeting on
the remainder of the 1996/1997 city budget.

Surjadi said that several regular buses were damaged and could
not operate, and bus owners could not afford to repair them.

Data released by the City Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ)
said only 439 of 1,679 regular buses were operating.

Surjadi noted that bus company owners preferred to operate non
air-conditioned limited passenger (Patas) buses with fares of Rp
700, because they were more economically feasible than operating
regular buses with Rp 300 fares.

Even though passengers pay Rp 700, they are often subjected to
services of regular buses, he said.

The agency has faced problems in proving that some buses do
not operate according to their issued permits, he said, but
punishments were delivered once allegations were proved.

In April, the agency temporarily banned 64 Giri Indah Andalan
buses and 100 Himpurna buses for failing to operate 30 percent of
their regular buses and replacing them with non air-conditioned
Patas buses. A bus company must operate 30 percent of its regular
buses, according to city regulations.

Bus company representatives have admitted trying to cover up
operational costs by operating higher-fare buses.

Also in April, the chairman of the Organization of Land
Transportation Owners city branch, Aip Syarifuddin, urged the
government to raise regular bus fares to Rp 500 (U.S. 20 cents)
from the current Rp 300 fare to cover operational and maintenance
costs.

The government-set fare for air-conditioned buses is Rp 1,800,
for non air-conditioned buses, Rp 700, and for regular buses, Rp
300.

Councilor Soeyono of the Armed Forces urged the municipality
last Wednesday to explain its policies in handling the
"disappearance" of regular buses, which most people depend on.

Councilor Soeroso of the Golkar faction had also urged the
municipality to take action against regular buses which were
illegally operating as Patas buses.

According to DLLAJ data, the city now operates 3,691 buses --
1,900 non air-conditioned Patas buses, 672 air-conditioned Patas
buses and 1,119 regular buses. The buses ply 217 routes
throughout the city.

In the meeting, Surjadi also talked about recent drivers'
strikes, blaming them on irresponsible rumor-spreading, and
"illegal drivers".

Those who staged the strikes "were not legitimate drivers
registered at DLLAJ".

"It's possible the drivers (who protested) were illegal
drivers, but claimed to be legal ones," Surjadi said.

Bus drivers throughout the city have protested over the past
week demanding a stop to new buses operating within their routes.
(ste)