Tourist taxi service starts

JAKARTA (JP): Taxi company PT Ratax Armada is scheduled to launch on Monday a tourist taxi service, Taksi Ratax Wisata, an executive of the firm said.

Ratax Armada's president, Andra Y. Agussalam said on Thursday the taxis' interiors would be furnished with imitation leather upholstery and stocked with tourism brochures, city maps and candies, with drivers wearing Betawi traditional dress.

"The innovation is aimed at making us the standard for taxi services in the city and to motivate other companies to improve their services," he said.

Andra said during the first stage the company would launch 50 tourist taxis with the number to be raised in stages to 300 units.

He explained that drivers had received training about major tourist attractions in the city and given information on how to improve their services.

Ratax Armada, which operates 875 taxis, is 28 percent owned by the city administration with the rest belonging to PT Centris Multipersada Pratama, Andra said. (ind)