Up to 144 buses violate fare hike

JAKARTA (JP): As many as 144 inter-provincial buses violated the government-sanctioned 25 percent fare hike during the Idul Fitri holidays, the head of the city's Traffic and Transportation Office Buyung Atang said on Tuesday.

"Some 105 violations were reported by our officers while the remaining 35 violations were reported by the public," Buyung told reporters at City Hall.

He said the buses would have their operating permits temporarily suspended. The duration of the suspensions was not specified.

Buyung added that buses which were found to have been in violation for the third time would be forbidden to operate for a year.

A bus of PO Raflesia company was reported to have charged the highest increase when it charged Rp 115,750 instead of the official increase of Rp 26,625. The air-conditioned bus was plying the Jakarta-Lampung route.

Another bus, PO Rawit Mulyo which traveled from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, was reported to have increased its fare 100.84 percent above the official hike.

Similarly, a PO Lorena bus plying Palembang, South Sumatra- Jakarta route raised its fare 98.27 percent.

According to the Office's records, the number of passengers boarding outbound buses from Jakarta from Dec. 20 to Jan. 4 reached a total of 929,478 people on 33,223 buses.

The number of passengers arriving in the city during that same period reached 908,916 in 36,933 buses.(07/04/jun)