Sutiyoso to help fund busway feeder services

Damar Harsanto and Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Tangerang

Governor Sutiyoso will likely provide budget money for the bus feeder service operators to provide clean, comfortable, air- conditioned buses to support the implementation of the busway project.

"It's likely that I will provide a subsidy from the city budget to enable the feeder buses to replace their existing fleets with new, air-conditioned buses," the governor announced at City Hall on Wednesday.

He emphasized that the feeder buses must be as comfortable as the busway's buses along the main north-south corridor between Blok M, South Jakarta and Kota, West Jakarta. The feeder operators may be able to sell their old buses and buy new ones through a credit scheme, the governor suggested.

Sutiyoso's statement contradicted an earlier statement made by Irzal Z. Djamal, the busway project team head, who said that the feeder operators would use the existing buses, most of which are not air-conditioned.

"Bus operators grouped in the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) have objected to the provision of air-conditioned buses. We can only ask them to provide the best buses they have," he said.

Each main line busway passenger must pay Rp 2,500 (29 U.S. cents) for a one-way trip. Passengers will be charged an additional Rp 400 if they start their commute on the feeder buses from the inner Jakarta zone, and an extra Rp 1,300 for the outer zone. Commuters will only have to buy one ticket, which will be good for the transfer to the main busway line.

From each feeder service ticket sold, the busway operators will reportedly get Rp 1,500.

Irzal said the administration would subsidize the busway companies up to Rp 1,000 per passenger for the inner zone, and Rp 2,000 for the outer Jakarta zone, in order to make the busway attractive and thus successful.

The busway tickets are sold in two ways: vouchers for a certain amount of money in the form of a "smart card" and regular tickets for each trip. While the feeder bus tickets will be sold at the 16 locations where the feeder services originate.

Four bus operators which have agreed to provide feeder buses are Steady Safe, Pahala Kencana, Bianglala and Ratax.

The busway will kick off on Jan. 15 and the city administration is allowing everyone to ride free of charge for the first two weeks.

In Serpong, Tangerang, a total of 132 busway drivers will on Thursday begin a week-long training program at the National Police Traffic Training Center.

Chief of the training center, Sr. Comr. Lalu Suprapta, said that the drivers, who were recruited from bus companies, would be given training on driving skills, engine issues, traffic regulations, ethics and first aid.

"When their training is complete, every driver will get a bus driving certificate, which will be the first of its kind in the country," he added.