Transportation must be improved

Transportation must be improved

From Suara Karya

As a public transportation user, I have really put my hopes on Agum Gumelar, the transportation minister, to bring about improvements to transportation, particularly land transportation. In spite of frequent fare hikes, the city administration has yet to deliver its promise to improve public transportation services.

Transportation entrepreneurs under the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) have simply made empty promises. People still jostle for and stand in crowded buses, trains and so on, a situation that encourages pickpockets. City residents should, perhaps, resign themselves to the prospect of losing their wallets and other valuables, not to mention inhaling dirty air, as the regulations on vehicle emissions are also not complied with.

Inconsiderate public transportation drivers, who frequently deviate from their routes, also hamper passengers' activities. In addition, railway services are no better than buses: they are even more inhumane.

I therefore call on the transportation minister to immediately overcome the problem. As there still remains in the 2001 budget the social compensation fund for the transportation sector, I propose that funds be allocated for the purchase of additional economy-class train carriages or buses for state-owned operators, as well as for improving the emissions of public transportation vehicles to reduce pollution levels.

INA

Jakarta