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mid disagreements between the city administration and integrated bus network (APTB) operators, Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan has instructed Jakarta Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama by letter to find a solution to the problematic buses.

In the letter dated May 8, Jonan reminded Ahok that the operation of the APTB buses was against Law No. 22/2009 on traffic and road transportation.

'€œReferring to Article 176 of Law No. 22/2009, Article 82 of Government Regulation No. 74/2014 and Transportation Ministry Decree No. 35/2003, the operation of a inter-province bus route falls under the authority of the minister overseeing traffic and road transportation facilities and infrastructure,'€ Jonan said in the letter obtained by reporters.

He went on to say that the Jakarta administration had violated the regulations by issuing permits for the operation of APTB buses, which travel from satellite cities to Jakarta and back using the dedicated lanes of PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta) buses.

Jonan further requested that the city administration cease issuing permits to APTB buses. He went on to say that in order to issue permits for modes of transportation that operated in more than one province, a governor must first obtain approval from the transportation minister, as the person in charge of overseeing traffic and road transportation facilities and infrastructure.

'€œBased on the regulations, the Jakarta governor must immediately complete all requirements to obtain operational permits for the APTB buses,'€ he said.

Separately, Ahok said he had received the letter and acknowledged that APTB was operating against the regulations. '€œAPTB was established under [former Transportation Agency head] Udar Pristono, and it is operating against the regulations. That'€™s why we were trying to find a solution for these buses,'€ Ahok said.

Currently, there are six APTB bus operators: Perum PPD, PT Bianglala Metropolitan, PT Mayasari Bakti, PT Sinar Jaya Megah Langgeng, PT Hiba Utama and PT Agra Mas. There are 183 APTB buses operating on 17 intercity routes, traveling to Jakarta from neighboring areas, such as Bekasi, Bogor and Cikarang, Ciputat and Poris Plawad in Tangerang.

The city administration and the APTB operators have been at odds over compensation and the operation of the buses. The operators had previously agreed to operate under the coordination of Transjakarta, thus complying with Transjakarta'€™s services and operation. The city was also to pay APTB operators an agreed rate per kilometer.

However, Ahok said that the city had refused to fulfill the operators'€™ request to pay them more than the city had offered. The city, he said, had offered Rp 14,000 (US$1.07) per kilometer, while the operators had asked for Rp 18,000.