Standard buses cannibalized for express fleet
JAKARTA (JP): The head of the Land Transportation Control Agency, JP Sepang, promised yesterday to get buses back on the street and to make sure they are serving the public properly.
Passengers have been complaining of a decrease in the number of standard buses, which charge a fare of Rp 300 (13 US cents), and too many Express (Patas) buses charging Rp 700 per trip.
Sepang said the probable cause of the decrease is the cannibalizing of standard buses and the use of their parts to keep the more profitable Express buses the road.
Recently, the Association of Public Transportation Owners said that the number of regular buses in the city had dropped by 50 percent because members lacked the funds necessary for maintenance and repair.
Sepang said yesterday that most of the companies, which do not have enough money to repair their damaged standard buses, use the good parts from Patas buses for their more lucrative Express fleets.
Agency data indicate that bus companies prefer operating the Express buses because the fares are higher and allow them to make more money.
The result is that the number of privately-owned standard buses serving routes across the capital has decreased by half in the last 12 months.
The association has confirmed that most of its members have no funds to repair damaged buses.
Sepang promised that his office would rectify the situation by monitoring the use of public buses.
"We want to make sure the public bus firms are obeying the regulations. So we are focusing on the problem in a special operation as of today," he said.
The operation is aimed at upholding Gubernatorial Decree No. 572/1996 on public transportation. Under the decree, buses which abandon passengers before their final destinations are to be impounded.
During the operation, agency officials will ensure that bus crews adhere to capacity regulations and transport students, who pay Rp 100 per trip.
"According to the decree, Patas buses can only pick up 10 passengers beyond their seating limit during peak hours," he said, adding that officials will make sure that the buses comply with the regulation.
Agency figures show that of the city's 20,215 buses, there are 16,678 standard buses, half of which are considered operable.
The data also indicate that the number of state-owned standard buses has dropped from 1,479 to 664.
City Council Speaker M.H. Ritonga said earlier that the agency should force transit companies to repair and operate standard buses.
"The agency should take prompt actions to settle this matter and make certain that the companies obey the regulations," he said. (yns)