Special permits needed for extra Idul Fitri buses

Special permits needed for extra Idul Fitri buses

JAKARTA (JP): Operators of extra Idul Fitri buses need special
permits, a City Land Transportation Control Agency official said
yesterday.

The agency's traffic and transportation control subdivision
head Oriyanto Supardal said this included those companies used to
transport homecoming employees.

He said permits were necessary because the extra buses would
not ply their regular routes during Idul Fitri.

"Each bus needs a special permit for a two-way trip. The
permit will be effective seven days before and 10 days after the
Idul Fitri holiday," Oriyanto said.

The permit could be acquired at the city's main bus terminals,
the Agency's mayoralty branch and the Agency's headquarters, he
said.

The permit would be used to record the number of travelers and
the number of buses leaving the city, he said.

Oriyanto said bus crews that violated regulations would not be
punished directly.

"If we find bus crews increasing bus fares beyond what was set
by the government, we will take the route permits and will give
the driver a temporary one. The punishment will be imposed when
the bus owner renews the route permit," Oriyanto said.

He did not say how the violators would be punished. "It is the
Director General of Land Transportation of the Ministry of
Transportation which has the authority to decide the punishment."

It was better to punish offenders later so as not to create
problems during the busy holiday, he said

"This can avoid traffic congestion. Furthermore, if direct
punishment is given the number of buses operational will drop
gradually. In the end the travelers will be affected," he said.

"Operational permits for operators who violate regulations
could be temporarily revoked depending on the violation,"
Oriyanto said.

The ministry could revoke permits for three to four months,
he said.

Agency officials would check the buses before they left "just
to make sure the buses are safe to transport people".

The city will operate 9,397 buses for Idul Fitri, 2,095 of
which are city public buses, including Kopaja and Metromini
buses.

The buses will be pooled at permanent bus terminals including
Pulo Gadung and Kampung Rambutan in East Jakarta, Lebak Bulus in
South Jakarta and Kalideres in West Jakarta.

There will be an extra 15 bus terminals in five mayoralties,
including terminals at Grogol and Daan Mogot, West Jakarta,
Pinang Ranti, East Jakarta, Tanjung Priok and Muara Angke, North
Jakarta, and on Jl. Kapten P. Tendean and Jl. Abdul Rochim, South
Jakarta.

City Land Transportation Control Agency head J.P. Sepang has
estimated 1.6 million people would leave Jakarta for their
hometown by bus for Idil Fitri. The state railway company,
Perumka, said it would provide 169,000 seats a day.

The City Population Office estimates 3.5 million people leave
Jakarta for their hometowns each Idul Fitri and return with
300,000 relatives and friends looking for jobs. (ste)