T

he Koperasi Wahana Kalpika (KWK) angkot (public minivan) cooperative is planning to rejuvenate its vehicles and integrate its management with other modes of transportation.

After meeting with Jakarta Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama at City Hall on Thursday, KWK chairman Laode Djeni Hasmar said that his cooperative had asked for time from the city administration to rejuvenate its vehicles.

Djeni said that 4,082 out of the 6,238 minivans under KWK were more than 10 years old. '€œWe will rejuvenate the vehicles gradually. We need at least two years,'€ he said, adding that KWK minivans served 78 routes in greater Jakarta. '€œEach owner can only have five cars. So, we have 3,600 owners, or members, in the cooperative,'€ he said.

Djeni said that after the rejuvenation, the cooperative would integrate its minivans with other transportation modes.

'€œWe will invite the governor to our annual meeting in March to talk about the direction being taken with public transportation,'€ he said.

The Jakarta administration is creating tension within public transportation. The Transportation Agency has been confiscating ill-maintained and rickety minibuses, especially those without proper documents.

Jakarta also called on all bus companies and cooperatives to join city-owned bus operator PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta) to integrate their transportation modes.

Since public minibus cooperative Kopaja agreed to operate under Transjakarta management, hundreds of its new minibuses have began to be used as Transjakarta feeder buses.

Separately, Ahok said that he had told the KWK management that they would not survive if they did not join Transjakarta.

'€œKWK minivans were initially to become feeder transportation from housing complexes and suburbs. However, the fact is, 50 percent of them are roaming around in the middle of the city,'€ he said.

'€œWe are also questioning their road worthiness certificates,'€ he said.

He added that although they had pledged to rejuvenate their public minivans, the city administration would keep taking stern action if they violated regulation.

'€œIf they wait for passengers for too long, we will give them sanctions,'€ he said.

Ahok said KWK had to replace their minivans with big buses on routes overlapping with Transjakarta. However, KWK are allowed to operate their minivans for routes on local roads, in housing complexes and kampung.

Ahok said it was the best way to revamp the transportation system. '€œWe want Transjakarta to control all routes for 24 hours,'€ he said.