T

he Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda), which controls most public transportation services in the capital, has planned to start installing air conditioning (AC) units in all its vehicles by next year to comply with government-set minimum service standards.

The vehicles that would be equipped with AC units include angkot or minivans that were known to be inconveniently hot, said Organda Jakarta chairman Shafruhan Sinungan.

“This is actually not just the plans of Organda, but we are following the law, which says that all public transportation should be equipped with AC, their doors should remain closed while operating, and their drivers should not smoke while working,” Shafruhan said recently as quoted by Kompas.com, referring to Transportation Ministry regulation No. 98/2013 on public transportation’s minimum service standards (SPM).

He said when all the vehicles were equipped with AC, the transportation fare would slightly increase from the current fare, adding that, however, it would still be affordable.