Strike strands bus passengers

SEMARANG: Hundreds of bus passengers plying the Solo-Semarang route were stranded on Friday at Tirtonadi Terminal in Solo as three bus companies went on strike.

Hundreds of employees of bus companies Safari, Taruna and Duta Kartika have gone on strike since Wednesday.

Slamet, a bus crew member, said the strike began on Wednesday, when the management of Taruna fired dozens of employees.

The crew of 54 Taruna buses parked along Jl. Diponegoro, where the Semarang Council is located, in a display of protest.

In a show of solidarity, the crew of dozens of other buses, including those of Safari and Duta Kartika, joined the strike.

The strike prompted bus companies aside from the three involved, to raise their fares.

Sami Jaya bus company, for example, raised its fare by up to 100 percent on Friday. Normally, it costs Rp 5,000 from Solo to Salatiga, but as of Friday it cost Rp 10,000 for the same route.

Salatiga is located between Semarang and Solo. -- JP