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)