T

he Jakarta Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) expressed its objection to the city administration'€™s plan to put all public buses and minivans under the management of city-owned transportation operator PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta).

The plan, which includes Metro Mini, Kopaja and public minivans, is to improve service to the public.

Organda Chairman Shafruhan Sinungan accused the city administration of attempting to monopolize land transportation in the capital.

'€œThe city administration, through Transjakarta, wants to monopolize the public transportation business in the capital,'€ he said.

All public buses and minivans not allowed to use the busway are owned by private companies and individuals.

Shafruhan said although Transjakarta was owned by the city administration, the city had no need to supervise all public buses and put them under the city-owned company'€™s management.

'€œWe reject the plan because we have paid a high price to get the routes, while Transjakarta has paid nothing for the busway and all its routes,'€ he said.

Shafruhan said the organization would go to court should the plan be implemented.

The Transportation Agency is now formulating the best scheme to revamp the public transportation system in Jakarta.

Transportation Agency head Muhammad Akbar said it would be strange if the operators rejected the plan.

'€œAll operational costs will be borne by the city administration through Transjakarta. They will get a steady income,'€ he said, referring to the plan.

Akbar said, however, that the operators would be obliged to provide at least the minimum service also required from Transjakarta buses.

The city administration has found it very difficult to regulate private operators as the bus and minivan owners are mostly individuals.

The agency head said that after all operators were controlled by Transjakarta, the agency would review the overlapping routes.

Meanwhile, the finance director of publicly listed taxi operator PT Express Transindo Utama (Express Group), David Santoso, said his company would wait for the decision from the Organda and the government before adjusting taxi fares following the recent fuel price hike.

He however said his company had proposed a 30 percent hike, which was in line with the new fuel prices.

He added that this meant that the flag fall would range from Rp 7,500 (61 US cents) to Rp 9,000 with a charge of Rp 5,000 to Rp 5,600 per kilometer.

David said the 30 percent increase also took into account other factors, such as the increasing price of spare parts and the rise in the provincial minimum wage.

'€œAlthough operational costs will increase, Express will keep its low fare ceiling,'€ he said.