jakarta globe article 02-02-2011
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7/28/2019 Jakarta Globe Article 02-02-2011
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The Jakarta administration has ordered that, as of
Tuesday, all public bus routes that overlap more than half
of Corridor IX must bescrapped.
Hipolitus is worried about his job, and for good
reason: Hes working on borrowed time. The 50-year-
old drives the Patas 46 bus that runs from Cililitan in
East Jakarta to Grogol in West Jakarta.
Much of his route runs down Jalan S. Parman in
West Jakarta, parallel with the TransJakarta busway
Corridor IX, running from Pinang Ranti in East
Jakarta to Pluit in North Jakarta.
Therein lies the problem. The Jakarta administration
has ordered that, as of Tuesday, all public bus routes
that overlap more than half of Corridor IX must be
scrapped.
Hipolitus said he was aware of the order, but he
worked anyway on Tuesday because his office told
him to.
If we can keep on operating here, then well
continue doing so because this is where we earn our
livelihood, he said.
He added that while the administration might be
trying to improve busway services, it was not going
about it the right way.
This is an unfair policy. Its excessive, he said.
Its good for boosting busway services, but they
should have provided us with a solution first before
implementing this policy.
A total of 189 buses serving nine routes are affected
by the policy, according to Udar Pristono, head of the
Jakarta Transportation Office.
He said Corridors IX and X, which run from Cililitan to
Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta, had proved popular
since being launched at the end of last year.
This, he argued, would see fewer passengers taking
the regular buses, which in turn would see the buses
make longer and more frequent stops to wait for
passengers, thus backing up traffic along the road.
Udar said the bus operators would be provided a one
-week grace period in which to remap their existing
routes.
After that week is up, well begin enforcing the policy
by cracking down on those buses continuing to serve
the same routes, he said.
He added that the operators appeared amenable to
the plan and could use their affected buses to bolster
other routes.
Pande Putu Yasa, a spokesman for transportation
company PPD, which serves three of the nine
affected routes, said the firm disagreed with the
policy.
He said it could not simply make up for anticipated
losses by moving its buses over to its 24 other
routes.
Weve calculated each route carefully in terms of the
fleet we need, and we cant add more buses just like
that because there will be a bus overload, Pande
said.
Rerouting of Buses May See Hundreds Lose Their JobsArientha Primanita & Obey Wibinnov Sianipar| February 02, 2011
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Page 1Rerouting of Buses May See Hundreds Lose Their Jobs | The Jakarta Globe
congestion extends to other roads as well.
But now look at it. Its always packed, and the
morning rush hour would be flowing smoothly by 10
Before the busway was built, the traffic after the
area even worse.
made the already chronic traffic congestion in the
and its dedicated lane, along Jalan S. Parman had
The 23-year-old also said the advent of the busway,
rather than the busway.
the reason she preferred to take the regular bus
the long trudge from the shelter to the sidewalk was
Fani, a graduate from Tarumanegara University, said
up the long ramps leading to the busway shelters.
older people because it did not require them to climb
He also said taking a regular bus was less taxing on
depend on this bus.
street vendors and the buskers whose livelihoods
count on us to keep serving this route, as do the
This isnt just a bus, he said. The passengers
buses catered to more cash-strapped commuters.
Hipolitus, the Patas 46 driver, agreed that the regular
public buses, she said.
Its the private cars that should be limited, not the
the fare on the regular bus.
busway, which costs Rp 3,500 ($0.40) more than
available, she said, she would be forced to take the
to her office in Taman Anggrek. If this was no longer
Wasti, 38, said she regularly took the Patas 46 to get
passengers.
The new rule is also unpopular with some
complained.
eradicating the poor through this policy, he
Instead of eradicating poverty, the government is
half.
Dec. 31, his passenger numbers have dropped by
He said that since Corridor IX began operating on
since 1995.
Grogol and Kampung Rambutan in East Jakarta
That includes Wawan, who has driven a bus between
drivers and conductors were in limbo.
In the meantime, he said, the livelihoods of 300
company to start operating them.
administration had not issued a permit allowing the
that do not overlap with the busway, but the city
He added that PPD had proposed two new routes
a.m., she said.
requires graduating from high school.
They cant apply to be busway drivers because that
elementary school education, he said.
drivers and assistants, most of whom only have an
Our biggest concern is what will happen to our 800
money necessary to pay for bus rental.
be more severe than just drivers failing to earn the
affected routes, said the fallout from the policy would
Mayasari Bhakti, which serves six of the nine
Ajang Sodikin, head of personnel for bus operator
remainder out of his own pocket.
to the buss owner. That means he must pay the
sometimes fails to earn enough to pay the daily rent
Because of the reduced number of trips, he
said.
The traffic is worse with the busway in place, he
but that has since fallen to 16 on a good day.
make 20 trips back and forth from Cililitan to Grogol,
Before the arrival of Corridor IX, he said, he could
Hipolitus knows about the traffic all too well.
borrowed time.
Hipolitus, it turns out, is not the only one working on
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