YLKI to help monitor Idul Fitri bus ticket prices

P.C. Naommy, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Three main bus stations in the city are working with the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) to monitor illegal hike of ticket prices prior to the Idul Fitri holiday, which falls on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26.

"We have set up a coordination center in this station and, along with YLKI staff members, we will monitor the situation to make sure that everything is under control," Endi Lastyo, head of Kampung Rambutan bus station, said on Thursday.

He emphasized that he and his staff would not compromise with anyone found to be violating the rules.

"There is no place for ticket scalpers at this station," he explained to visiting members of House of Representatives Commission IV overseeing infrastructure and transportation.

The management of Kampung Rambutan bus station has already collected sample tickets from all bus operators in the station. The tickets have the correct fare printed on them and will be used as controls.

"If passengers are suspicious about the price of a ticket they have bought, they can come to us and we will check it against the correct prices," said Endi.

He said if it is proved that a bus company has arbitrarily increased their fares, station staff will take their operating license and report to the City Transportation Agency. The agency has the authority to issue and rescind the licenses.

The agency will also randomly distribute forms to bus passengers in order to gather feedback and complaints, including any irregular incidents experienced before and during the trip.

YLKI chairwoman Indah Suksmaningsih said most passengers were too passive. "They just accept everything as is and are reluctant to report any unjust actions they have experienced, especially anything to do with ticket prices."

The YLKI encourages all consumers to be proactive in reporting any and all irregularities they encounter.

In the past, the consumer protection foundation had a visible role in actively monitoring ticket sales. This year, they will focus their activities on registering complaints at the coordination center.

The foundation has undertaken the new measure due to death threats made against Erna Rosida, a YLKI staff member. The threats were delivered by bus operators Erna was monitoring.

This is the their fifth year the YLKI is collaborating with the Pulo Gadung, Kampung Rambutan and Lebak Bulus bus stations.

House Commission members checked buses, train stations, seaports and airports, bus ticket prices and bus emergency equipment during their visit, led by Commission chairman Soemaryoto and accompanied by head of City Transportation Agency Rustam Effendy.

They found that not all buses, particularly old buses, had the mandatory two hammers to break windows, emergency exits and fire extinguishers.

It was the lack of such basic emergency equipment that contributed to the deaths of 51 students from a Yogyakarta-based vocational school last month when their bus collided with a truck and burst into flames in Situbondo, East Java.

However, TR Panjaitan of the Jakarta Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda DKI) said the agency was lenient in regards the fire extinguisher requirement, because the regulation just went into effect on Oct. 15.