Traders feel the bite of Cipularang toll road
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung
The opening of the Cipularang toll road has been welcomed by motorists wanting a quick trip between Jakarta and Bandung, but their enthusiasm is not shared by Purwakarta residents who used to profit from motorists passing through the area.
Eti Suhaeti, a ceramics, handicrafts and peuyeum (fermented cassava) seller in Bendul, Sukatani in Purwakarta, looked over her merchandise glumly.
"I usually earn between Rp 100,000 (US$10.50) and Rp 200,000 a day, but I have only earned Rp 5,000 the last three days. How can I pay the ceramics and peuyeum makers? It's not even enough for me to eat," the 54-year-old mother of seven told The Jakarta Post.
Another trader, Ratna, did not know how to come up with the almost Rp 5 million to pay the annual rent on her kiosk.
"I used to earn Rp 500,000 a day on weekends, but now with the new toll road I don't get any customers. I'm lucky if I can earn Rp 20,000 a day," the 30 year old said.
Eti said it was difficult to picture the future of her children, four of whom were still at school, with the hardships brought about by the April 26 opening of the toll road.
She needs at least Rp 400,000 next month to pay school fees for her four school-aged children. "Not to mention paying for books as well as transportation," Eti said.
The traders' plight is also shared by peuyeum makers in Bendul and ceramics makers in Plered, Purwakarta.
Ohim, a 51-year-old ceramic seller in Plered, said traders used to buy his wares once a week.
"But since the toll road's opening, none of them come because they still have unsold items," he said.
Ceramic articles, such as vases, ashtrays and pots, are priced between Rp 1,000 and Rp 20,000 each. Before the toll road opening, Ohim could sell 500 ceramic articles a week.
With hundreds of motorists choosing to take the new toll road, one gas station in Sukatani is also feeling the bite.
Dede, who works at the gas station, said sales were down by around 40 percent. He said that before the toll road opened, the station sold 16,000 tons of diesel fuel and 5,000 tons of Premium gasoline per day.
"Now, we sell 10,000 tons of diesel fuel and 3,000 tons of Premium a day at the most," Dede said.
Around 200 craftsmen and traders in Bendul sent a letter to the Purwakarta regental council on Tuesday, requesting that the administration consider their future. The council and the administration are currently working on a formula to help the traders and craftsmen survive.
Effendi, head of a Bendul peuyeum small business group, said the traders had sent a request to toll road management Jasa Marga asking that they be allowed to trade in the rest area.
He said that a rest area would supposedly be built where Sundanese and Purwakarta traditional food would be sold as well as stalls selling handicrafts and peuyeum.
"We have heard nothing concrete about the plan yet and we're worried that Bendul traders will not be prioritized, but that investors who can pay high rent will be," Effendi said.
The head of Jasa Marga's Padalarang-Cileunyi stretch of toll road, Hendro Atmodjo, said the company was working on the finishing touches at several points as well as installing security fence.
He told the Post on Thursday in Bandung that a rest area would be built at a later date.
He estimated that 75 percent of motorists driving between Jakarta and Bandung chose to take the Cipularang toll road, which shortens the trip from the previous four to five hours to two to two-and-a-half hours.
Before the toll road opened, an average of 125,00 motorists a day used the Padalarang toll road, but since the new road opened and was not yet charging motorists a toll, the volume sharply increased by 10,000 vehicles a day on ordinary days and 25,000 vehicles a day on weekends, he added.