I

t has been more than a week since the Jakarta Transportation Agency revoked the operational permits of some regular buses, leaving many evening travellers stranded.

The permit revocation of 189 buses aimed to encourage the public to use TransJakarta buses, especially those serving the two newly launched corridors connecting Pinang Ranti in East Jakarta to Pluit in North Jakarta and Cililitan in South Jakarta to Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta.

The buses with revoked permits include the Patas 68 plying the Kampung Rambutan-Muara Angke route, Patas AC 74 serving the Kampung Rambutan-Tangerang route and Patas 6 connecting Kampung Rambutan and Grogol.

Out of the total buses that were forced to stop service, 76 were operated by the state-owned PPD bus company.

“Since the the P6 and 46 stopped operating, I haven’t had any other choice but to take a taxi. So, I have to dig deeper into my pocket because I often go home after 10 p.m, when the TransJakarta buses stop running,” Elly, an office worker in Slipi, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Elly who lives in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, said she used to leave from Pancoran and transfer to another bus in order to reach her house.

“Actually the P54 and P81 pass my house, but they have a limited fleet so people have to wait a long time.”

Another Palmerah area employee, Nova (not her real name), said she found it difficult to find alternative cheap transportation after the elimination of her regular buses because she often left work very late, around 11 p.m.

“I am really sad about the elimination of the regular buses, which affects workers like me with odd working hours,” she said.

As there are so many like Elly and Nova, some mikrolet (public minivan) drivers have even altered their routes for ones that used to be served by the P6 and 46, charging higher fares.

“I have no other choice, even though I have to pay Rp 5,000 — double the fare of the P6 and 46,” Nova said.

Transportation Agency head Udar Pristono said the complaints were just excuses and that there were many other buses that served routes similar to the P6 and 46 buses.

“There are more than 1,000 other buses plying 53 routes that can be taken as alternatives. Travellers should adjust their transportation patterns with the existing buses,” he told the Post.

The agency’s decision has affected not only after hours travellers but also more than 500 drivers and bus conductors who recently staged a protest at the Jakarta Transportation Agency offices after losing their jobs.

But, according to Pristono, the situation was a win-win solution for all as drivers and conductors could be hired to work on TransJakarta buses while the rest could continue to work for the PPD or the privately owned Mayasari Bhakti.

“Those buses will be rerouted to other areas to ensure smooth public transportation services in the city,” he said.

He said people had begun using the corridors 9 and 10 TransJakarta buses more and more, and the removal of those regular buses from service could help ease traffic, especially during rush hour.