Thousands stranded in Tegal

Thousands stranded in Tegal

TEGAL, Central Java: Thousands of people planning to return to Jakarta were left stranded on Sunday at the local bus terminal over the weekend due to a shortage of buses.

Most of the people in transit from the nearby towns of Purwokerto, Bumiayu, Brebes and Pekalongan were forced to spend the night in the hope that more buses would arrive on Monday.

Some bus operators took advantage of the situation by hiking their fares up to 200 percent, according to Antara.

One passenger agreed to pay the higher fare rather than staying in town. "I'll pay any price as long as I get to Jakarta on time," said 20-year-old Titin from Bojong.

Antonius, 27, said he had come to Tegal because he could not catch a bus from his hometown in Purwokerto. "We came here at three in the morning. And now, we'll have to wait until Monday."

Bus terminal officials said that on Sunday 120,000 people came to the terminal and only some 94,000 of them got seats on the buses. (rms)