Taxi business down during fasting month

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)