C

ity-owned bus operator PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta) has stopped the operation of all buses owned by private operator PT Jakarta Trans Metropolitan (JTM) following a fire in one of its buses in Latuharhari in Central Jakarta on Friday morning.

The incident started when the driver, Deliana, was told by the driver of a private car near corridor 6 that runs from Ragunan in South Jakarta to Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta that they had seen sparks coming out from the back of the bus.

'€œThe driver immediately stopped the bus and assisted by two onboard staff, tried to put out the fire with extinguishers,'€ Transjakarta spokesperson Prasetia Budi said.

He added that staff from other buses had also helped them, however, the fire grew and the entire body of the bus was incinerated.

'€œThen the firefighters came and extinguished the fire,'€ he said, adding that the incident had claimed no causalities.

'€œAll JTM buses have been replaced with other buses,'€ he said.

Separately, newly installed Transjakarta president director Budi Kaliwono said on Friday that most JTM buses had been taken out of operation. '€œOnly 17 of 61 buses were operating. However, we have grounded the remaining 17 buses today,'€ he said.

Budi said the bus company'€™s operations would be frozen for an indefinite time. '€œWe will allow them to operate again if they show real improvement, especially in fixing their buses,'€ he said.

He added that Transjakarta would also consider reviewing its contract with JTM, which serves corridor 4 from Pulo Gadung in East Jakarta to Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta as well as corridor 6.

'€œIf the company continues to violate regulations, there is a chance we will terminate or not extend the contract'€ he said.

Transjakarta'€™s contract with JTM is set to expire in June 2016.

The director said that the company would not tolerate violations when it came to safety. '€œWe are now intensively examining the buses one by one to see if they were in suitable condition to be on the road,'€ he said.

Fires on Transjakarta buses were rampant last year due to the poor condition of many of its buses.
At least five fire incidents occurred in 2015, including a fire that gutted
a bus depot owned by operator Trans Batavia in Rawa Buaya in West Jakarta, which burned 15 buses.

Regarding to the incident, Jakarta Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama said that he had instructed Transjakarta to take stern action regarding operators that did not maintain their buses well.

'€œThey also need to examine and check the bus one day before it is taken on to the road,'€ he said.

'€œWe need to be brave. If operators violate many regulations, we have to cut their payments,'€ he said, adding that the new Transjakarta board of directors would implement such a system.

Budi, former vice president director of transportation company PT Citra Maharlika Nusantara Corpora (CMNC), formerly known as PT Cipaganti Citra Graha was installed as president director early this year to replace ANS Kosasih due to what Ahok said was the latter'€™s '€œlackluster performance in 2015'€.

According to Ahok, Kosasih had not procured enough buses to accommodate the number of passengers. In 2015, the firm procured 51 Swedish-made Scania buses, 21 of which have arrived and are in operation.

'€” JP/Corry Elyda