Sutiyoso to help fund busway feeder services

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.