The Busway's pebble
The Busway's pebble
It is obviously unfair to judge whether the busway scheme has
been successful in saving the capital's public transportation
system from greater madness, as it is only eight days old.
However, no one can turn a deaf ear to complaints that the new
system is already having problems, despite the public's
enthusiasm in enjoying their free rides from Blok M to downtown
Kota until Feb. 1, when passengers will be charged Rp 2,500 one-
way.
Ordinary motorists and Busway drivers must be extra careful,
as there are several points where their paths cross. The
situation could become worse if every driver thinks he has a
right to race on the roads.
Many newspapers have been critical of the development of the
busway system. Only one day after its kickoff, several buses were
in trouble: Some had trouble with their automatic doors, others
suffered engine problems.
The feeder bus services also posed a problem, as the city
administration had yet to make available feeder lines for those
living in Ciledug, Lebak Bulus and other parts in southern
Jakarta wanting to take the TransJakarta to Kota.
One bus was damaged after hitting an old overhead railroad
bridge in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, when the driver tried to skip
the established route because he had no money for the toll. The
driver said the operator had failed to give him money for the
toll and he had no spare money of his own.
While elation among city officials over the successful Jan. 15
launch of the Busway remains palpable, drivers have emerged the
main problem in its service.
Wise men say that dealing with people is always complicated.
And city officials, trapped as they are in their determination
that the dream must become reality, have apparently forgotten
that drivers can be a liability to the success of the system.
Five drivers have already been fired for turning up late and
for their involvement in accidents, despite their brief training
and courses in discipline and driving ethics.
Smart uniforms and a Rp 2 million monthly salary are not
enticing enough for several drivers, who had enjoyed take-home
pays of between Rp 2.5 million and Rp 2.7 million per month from
their previous jobs at regular bus companies.
No wonder several drivers have protested the salary.
The drivers' lack of punctuality has also emerged as a serious
problem. A few days ago, 15 drivers decided to go home after the
next shift failed to show up on time.
The disgruntled drivers, who had stayed up from 5 a.m. to 1
p.m. without a break, said they could no longer tolerate their
fellow drivers' failure to show up for work on time. They became
even more disappointed after they failed to find anybody from the
city transportation agency or the busway operator who could
settle such "trivial" problems.
"We need time to eat. It is difficult for us to find even a
few spare minutes to relieve ourselves. If such a situation is
not properly handled, there is the possibility that we drivers
will go on strike," a local paper quoted a driver.
On Thursday, dozens of TransJakarta buses were stuck in a jam
after one bus stalled in the corridor. Officials blamed the
driver for shifting gears incorrectly.
Looking for new drivers is not difficult in Jakarta, as most
job seekers can drive. So it is understandable that Governor
Sutiyoso will soon recruit new drivers to replace those leaving.
But this also shows that the administration was unprepared in
anticipating such driver-related matters.
For Sutiyoso personally, the Jan. 15 launch of the Busway
could be politically prestigious, although it cannot get him
reelected for a third term -- the maximum allowed by law is two.
City officials, especially Sutiyoso, were determined to
realize the Busway -- amid strong public criticism -- merely to
prove that they could provide Jakartans with better public
transportation -- an effort that obviously deserves a thumbs-up.
However, from the start, the administration's methods in
pushing the busway plan triggered much criticism and complaints.
Now that the Busway is running, however, all we can do is wait
and see if the administration can maintain what it has achieved.
Given the drivers' complaints and the series of accidents that
have occurred, the administration would be well advised to
undertake some introspection about whether or not it did the
right things before launching the Busway.
Worried about the possibility of bigger problems to come, such
as public protests, the administration has deployed hundreds of
security officers, including policemen, to guard the 12.9-
kilometer Busway route. But the officials' fears has made them
miss the problem that has emerged from the inside: The drivers.
City officials should have paid attention to an old Chinese
saying: People stumble over a pebble, not over a mountain.