YLKI slams express bus fare increase

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) yesterday blasted the Land Transport Owners Organization (Organda) for increasing the fare of air-conditioned express buses from Rp 1,300 to Rp 1,800 (78 US cents).

YLKI chairperson Tini Hadad asked the organization to review its decision and set the fare lower than Rp 1,800.

"The organization should not feel it will `lose face' by doing that," Tini said yesterday.

She said it is not relevant to link the bus fare increase to the improvement of the bus service as promised by chairman of Organda's Jakarta branch, Aip Sjarifuddin. "It is the duty of the bus companies to serve the people. Better service does not relate to the fare increase," she said.

According to Tini, the bus companies had made profits with the old Rp 1,300 fare. "The increase in the number of air-conditioned express buses was proof that the bus companies gained financial profits from the old fare," she said.

"If Organda wanted to increase the bus fare, a 20-percent hike would be reasonable," she said.

Organda began applying the new rate on Saturday. The City Council had earlier criticized Organda and the city administration for not making a public announcement prior to the new fare's application date. The organization claimed to have the city administration's approval for the increase.

Sahala Sinaga, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party faction of the City Council, said that the increase was arbitrarily applied. It was regrettable that the city administration had failed to officially inform the Council about the increase.

Sahala called for the cancellation of the new fare as soon as possible and urged the city administration to repeat the whole process.

On Wednesday, a passenger of a Steady Safe express bus plying the Lebak Bulus-Senen route got off the bus in protest of the new fare.

"Could you show me the gubernatorial decree on the fare increase?" the passenger asked. The bus conductor replied `no'. The man then asked the driver to stop and disembarked early instead of paying Rp 1,800.

In response to both the councilor's and the public's protests, Governor Surjadi Soedirdja promised on Tuesday to reevaluate the new fare's implementation.

He said reevaluation was necessary to avoid any public unrest.

YLKI Chairperson Tini Hadad yesterday called for proper handling of any complaints addressed to Organda. The organization has a phone number -- 739-8080 --- available to those who are poorly treated by air-conditioned express bus crews.

"Organda must guarantee that the number working. The organization should also remember that our society has yet to become telephone-minded," Tini said.

Tini also criticized the bus companies for not adding to the number of its air-conditioned express fleets and allowing passengers to jostle each other in the bus.

According to a gubernatorial decree revised this year, an express bus is allowed to have only 10 standing people on board. In practice, the bus crew always lets on as many passengers as possible.

"Passengers improperly treated by bus companies deserve fare reductions as compensation. In this way, bus companies could respect the passengers' right to comfort," she added. (sur)