Some prefer traveling on rented cars to taking bus
Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta | Fri, 08/27/2010 10:21 AM
Considering it more practical, comfortable and personal, some travelers have chosen to use rented cars to return home for Idul Fitri.
Driving cars, they avoid having to stand in long queues for tickets or elbowing their way inside crowded public vehicles.
“All cars have been fully booked until post-Idul Fitri,” Antonius, a manager of Hafa car rental, said.
Located on Jl. Prawirotaman, Yogyakarta, the car rental company operates 40 cars of different models ranging from the Toyota Avanza and Toyota Kijang to the Kijang Innova, Daihatsu Xenia and Suzuki APV.
Gati Transport on Jl. Suryodiningratan announced it had also released all of its 62 rented cars.
The company has also increased rental fares.
“A rental fee price hike is normal during the Idul Fitri season. It can even be double on the official day,” said Faizal of Gati Transport.
Normal rates per 24 hours, driver excluded, are Rp 250,000 (US$30) for Avanza/Xenia cars and
Rp 300,000 for a model such as the Kijang Innova. During Idul Fitri season, rates increase by 30 to 100 percent.
Jhonny Bramantyo, Land Transportation Organization’s Yogyakarta provincial chapter chairman, said vacationers’ were beginning to prefer car rental over buses. He believes renting a car is more economical.
Paying Rp 300,000 for a car that can transport eight passengers, plus Rp 500,000 for fuel, is still cheaper than buying eight bus tickets for Rp 200,000 each, he said.
“Rental cars also take you directly to your destination,” Jhonny said.
Meanwhile, the Central Java administration office had said it would deploy 140 buses to take travelers home free of charge.
The buses will be stationed at Indonesia Miniature Park in East Jakarta on Sept. 5
“For Central Java residents living in Jakarta, use the opportunity. The Central Java administration will provide half the number of buses while the other half will be released by regencies, each contributing two buses,” Governor Bibit Waluyo said.
Suherdjoko contributed to the story from Semarang.
