Water charge, bus fare hikes to be decided on Monday

Water charge, bus fare hikes to be decided on Monday

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The City Council will make a decision on Monday on the increases
in bus fares and tap water charges as proposed by Governor
Sutiyoso in response to requests from the operators of the urban
services.

"We will discuss the two issues at the City Council leadership
meeting on Monday. Hopefully the City Council will make a
decision on the issues," City Council deputy chairman Tarmidi
Soehardjo said on Friday.

He was chairing a joint hearing of Commission D for
development affairs and Commission C for financial affairs with
officials of city transportation agency, the Organization of Land
Transportation Owners (Organda) and the Indonesian Consumers
Foundation (YLKI) to discuss the issues.

Governor Sutiyoso proposed a 45 percent increase in tap water
charges in response to the requests of two water operators PT
Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ) and PT Pan Lyonaise Jaya (Palyja).

Previously, Sutiyoso also proposed to the City Council a 28
percent increase in city bus fares in response to Organda's
request.

The City Council returned the proposal on city bus fares to
Sutiyoso on Monday to be discussed further by the Jakarta
Transportation Agency, Organda and YLKI, but the three parties
have not reached an agreement on the fare.

The transportation agency still insists on its first proposal
that Organda lower its fare hike proposal of 50 percent. But YLKI
still rejects any increase in fares unless operators improve
their services.

The increase proposed by the Jakarta Transportation agency is
Rp 1,150 or a 28 percent increase from the current fare for a
regular bus, Rp 1,250 or a 25 percent increase for the medium-
sized bus, and Rp 1,400 or 17 percent for the express bus.

Organda's proposed increase is Rp 1,200 or a 33 percent
increase from the current fare for the regular bus, Rp 1,300 or
30 percent for the medium-sized bus, and Rp 1,500 or 25 percent
for the express bus.

YLKI executive Daryatmo said the transportation fare in the
city is 20 percent higher than the price transportation index,
particularly as many city buses did not stick to the routes
decided by the Jakarta Transportation Agency.

"Public transportation users frequently have to spend more
money as the city buses do not reach their final destinations. It
can be seen in many city bus routes. Therefore we reject the
increase until the city administration can guarantee better
services," Daryatmo told the hearing.

Previously, Daryatmo also criticized water operators who
demanded an increase in rates while failing to improve
efficiency.

He referred to the failure of foreign investors to cut
water leakage and improve efficiency after five years of
operation in the city.

Water leakage is still some Rp 45 percent of production. The
target set of cutting the leakage from around 60 percent in 1998
to 35 percent five years into the agreement has not been
achieved.

Meanwhile Chairman of Commission D Koeswadi S. stressed the
need for the City Council to make a decision on the two issues on
Monday to end the controversy.