Taxi firm Blue Bird Group denies internal dispute

JAKARTA (JP): Taxi company PT Blue Bird Group denied on Monday that there was a split within its management following a decision of one of its subsidiaries, PT. Gamya Taxi, to refuse the fare hike, and the recent arrest of Gamya director Mintarsih A. Latief.

Head of public relations at Blue Bird Arvin Hardian said Mintarsih's arrest by South Jakarta Police on Friday was not related to her decision to maintain the old fare.

"The arrest was based on a report filed by Blue Bird board of directors secretary Diana Novari for an unpleasant act which was committed by Mintarsih last year," Arvin told a news conference.

"Mintarsih threatened Diana with an ax last year," Arvin said.

Arvin did not give the reason for Mintarsih's actions.

Police arrested Mintarsih and released her later the same day.

When contacted on Monday, Mintarsih said she strongly suspected she was arrested because she had issued a policy to maintain the former taxi fare.

"I gathered all the taxi drivers, about 1,000 in total, in the company compound on Nov. 28 to discuss whether we were going to use the new fare or go back to using the old one," Mintarsih said.

Most drivers agreed to use the old fare as it was hard to get passengers since the new fare went into effect, she said.

Mintarsih said when they reverted back to the old fare on Friday, four plainclothes police officers were looking for her at her house but were unable to find her since she was not there at the time.

When her family demanded that the officers show a search warrant, the officers flashed a piece of paper without allowing her relatives a chance to read it, she said.

She said that two years ago she had entered Diana's office demanding that the company show her documents which disclosed Mintarsih's share in the company funds.

"Yes I brought an ax in then and said I would break her table if she did not show me the documents," Mintarsih said, adding that she was frustrated because the company had not been truthful with her.

Mintarsih said the company had borrowed a large amount of money under shareholders' names, namely Purnomo, Chandra and herself, but the funds had been deposited only under Purnomo's and Chandra's names.

Mintarsih said that she, Purnomo and Chandra each owned 15 percent of the shares in PT Blue Bird.

"I asked them to put my name on the account since they had used my name to borrow the funds, which would mean that part of the debt is mine. I didn't want my children to be held responsible if something happened and they were burdened with the debt," Mintarsih said.

"I asked them many times. That's why I came to the office with an ax. I told them to please report me to the police but I would tell them what had made me do this."

Mintarsih said malfeasance had occurred at the company, including forcing Yanti Suryo Wibowo, 74, the holder of 35 percent of the company's shares, to sell her shares. She inherited the shares after her husband passed away.

"On May 23 this year, Yanti was brought to Blue Bird's office and was forced into selling the shares at a lower price. But she did not want to," Mintarsih said, adding that the case had been reported to South Jakarta Police, but had not been solved yet.

The Blue Bird Group, which also operates hundreds of taxis under other names, has been in the media spotlight following the recent 45 percent hike in taxi fares in the city.

Deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction at the House of Representatives Maringan Pangaribuan said on Nov. 22 that the Blue Bird Group had demanded the fare hike to cover its debt to the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) for over 3,000 Timor sedans. (jaw)