TransJakarta balks at buying pricey new Busway buses
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
TransJakarta Busway (BP TransJakarta) revealed Tuesday that the new buses proposed by the consortium of private bus operators, PT TransBatavia, would cost Rp 1.5 billion (approximately US$153,000) each.
The price is almost twice the amount of the buses procured for the first busway corridor, which ranged between Rp 821.7 million and Rp 846.5 million.
"We think that the bus price proposed by the consortium is too high. Higher bus costs simply mean a higher allottment from the city budget," TransJakarta manager Irzal Z Djamal stated in a hearing with the City Council's commission D that oversees transportation and development affairs.
Irzal said his firm had written to Governor Sutiyoso to ask if he would approve the high price of the buses as well as the brand to be used, Daewoo.
The city transportation agency has recommended the use of compressed natural gas-fueled buses made by South Korean firm for the new busway project.
"We need the (Governor's) approval as a legal basis for us to follow up on the contract with TransBatavia, the company that will manage the buses on the second and third busway routes," Irzal said.
He also added that it was doubtful that Daewoo was the only producer that could provide buses with the specifications required by the transportation agency.
It was necessary to have all things considered to evade legal problems as the Corruption Eradication Commission was currently investigating alleged corruption in the procurement of the buses for the first corridor, Irzal said.
"We also anticipate looming maintenance problems during the operation of the new buses since Daewoo has no authorized dealer here," he added.
Irzal also said that the consortium had estimated that it would charge the administration between Rp 16,000 and Rp 18,000 per kilometer for each bus in the first five years of operation. In the first busway project, the charge was only Rp 6,400 per kilometer.
"Of course, we won't be able to pay the huge charges with the revenue we obtain from the sold tickets unless we raise significantly the fares or provide a much bigger subsidy," he said.
TransBatavia president director Azis Rismaya Mahfud said that his company would not be able to provide the buses before the busway's scheduled opening in December this year due to some major lingering problems.
"We need a contract with BP TransJakarta to make a deal with Daewoo as well as to get loans from banks," he said in the hearing with the commission earlier on Tuesday.
He said that the launch of the new busway project would be delayed until "March next year at the earliest."
TransBatavia groups four companies, which routes are being affected by the new busway: Mayasari Bakti with 50 percent of shares, Steady Safe with 23 percent of shares, state bus company PPD with 22 percent and PT Metromini with 5 percent.
After launching the first busway corridor along Blok M in South Jakarta to Kota in West Jakarta early last year, the administration is finalizing the development of the second and third of the busway routes from Pulogadung in East Jakarta to Harmoni in Central Jakarta and Harmoni to Kalideres in West Jakarta.