Taxi business down during fasting month

JAKARTA (JP): The slowing of people's daily activities and the decreasing taxi drivers' stamina during Ramadhan has affected taxi business in the city, taxi drivers and operators have said.

Taxi business has dropped by between 20 and 40 percent depending on the number of calls and drivers each company has during Ramadhan.

Ratax's driver Tarjani said his daily net income had fallen to between Rp 10,000 and Rp 15,000 from Rp 20,000 he got on normal days.

"That is due to the slowing of business activities, such as earlier closing of entertainment and amusing centers, including discotheques," he said.

Kosti Jaya driver Masril Putra said his daily net income had dropped to about Rp 15,000 from the usual Rp 30,000 in the first week Ramadhan.

"That is because I drove less passengers and gave myself more time for rest," he said.

While fasting Masril doubles his rest time to three hours a shift.

Many taxi drivers and companies reported the drop in business. Bluebird Taxi, Jakarta's biggest taxi company, which normally gets 5,000 orders a day, has seen a 10 percent drop in business.

Express Taxi radio control coordinator Ningsih said another reason why business had slowed was that many drivers refused to work a full shift, which is usually two days work then one day off.

"During the fasting month, almost half of our drivers are off duty," she said.

But Royal City's chief operator Sianturi said the taxi business usually idled during the fasting month but rose sharply during Idul Fitri which marks the end of Ramadhan.

Based on last year's experience he predicted the company could get twice as many calls during Idul Fitri than during Ramadhan which this year falls on Feb. 9 and Feb. 10.

Tarjani and Masril said they got less tips during Ramadhan.

Masril said the tips he collected during the first week of Ramadhan was less than Rp 4,000 a day. "It used to be more than Rp 5,000 a day," he said.

He said middle-aged men were usually the biggest tippers. (04)