Toll hike may depend on public opinion

Toll hike may depend on public opinion

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar ensured that the government will take into account recommendations and opinions before deciding whether to increase the city's toll road fees.

One suggestion which will be seriously considered is that users of public transport may not be subjected to the increase, he said.

His earlier statement that the toll may be increased based on a proposal by a private toll road construction company has met both opposition and approval.

The proposal from the company, PT Citra Marga Nusaphala Persada, will be submitted to President Soeharto after a new 6.8- kilometer segment from Ancol Timur to Pluit starts operation.

The government is also waiting for the completion of the road to study the proposal better, he said.

"We will suggest a number of exceptions to the increase," he said. One of them is that the rate for buses stays at Rp 3,500, he said.

Of particular concern will be commuters from Tangerang, Bekasi and Bogor and others who regularly use the tollway such as truck drivers.

"We hope more people will use tollway coupons, which are 10 percent cheaper," he said. The possible increase will be less hard on them, he said.

If more people use the coupons, this could lessen congestion at entry gates, as motorists wait for officers to return change, he said.

In response to whether motorists can pay just for the distant they intend to travel on the tollway, Radinal said this is not possible yet for motorists within the city.

"This will only add to congestion," he said. But this may be possible with the completion of the outer ring road, he said.

"What is most important now is to lessen congestion on toll roads," he said. (anr)