Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – It was a day like any other at the Jakarta Transportation Agency on Wednesday, with public transportation drivers arriving in droves to file complaints.
Dozens of drivers of taxis, minibuses and buses gathered in the office, demanding to be heard.
"If there is no improvement this year, many of our companies will go bankrupt. The city administration only cares about the success of the busway and has never stopped to consider its negative effects on other modes of public transportation. I don't see the administration making any effort to accommodate drivers," said Burhanuddin, who drives a Mayasari Bakti bus.
Wednesday's meeting was facilitated by the city transportation council (DTK), which gives the city administration recommendations on transportation issues.
Burhanuddin said the busway had increased the severity of traffic jams and put many bus drivers out of work.
"By my calculations, every new busway bus on the road means 10 old buses are relegated to the depot. The administration came in very late to arrange alternative routes for the buses.
"We proposed the establishment of a route linking Jakarta and Cileungsi in Bogor... we obtained an operational permit from the Bogor administration but Jakarta has yet to issue permits," he said.
One-hundred-and-forty-two buses operate in the city's three busway corridors and about 225,000 public transportation vehicles traverse the city streets every day.
Blue Bird taxi driver Widirianto said passenger numbers had been dropping because of last year's fuel price increases and the operation of the busway system.
"We are facing extensive problems. Fuel prices have gone up, the busway is stealing our customers and there are too many taxis on the road, but the administration does nothing to help us," he said.
Drivers also harbor doubts about the administration's decision to make all public transportation vehicles run on compressed natural gas. "It is not a solution. The use of CNG is not efficient for taxis," said Blue Bird driver Kusnadi.
The drivers said that, while CNG was cheaper than diesel, a significant investment was needed to modify a vehicle to run on CNG. There is also a limited supply of CNG in the city.
There are currently 26,000 taxies in Jakarta. Some 16,000 taxies from surrounding areas like Depok, Bekasi and Tangerang operate in Jakarta every day. Seventeen stations sell CNG, but only six of them are operational.
Transportation council member Sri Widodo, who represents taxi companies, said the council would ask the administration to clamp down on taxis illegally operating in the city.
"We will also ask the administration to impose restrictions on the logos and colors taxi companies use, so passengers aren't confused."