[sustran] Re: Help Wanted (Indonesia)

[Matthew Burke]

Dear Alan,

I've been through Java a couple of times scoping out public transport
operations as part of some previous research. I've never spent any time in
Malang [travelled through once in '97 and didn't stop] but I assume the
chaotic vitality and despite-everything-effectiveness of the operations
elsewhere around Java will be the norm. The variety of paratransit is
enormous, ranging from three wheeled pedicab 'becak' [the 'Gondola of the
East' - well almost - do take a ride on a nice boulevarde at night some
time when the traffic is scarce and the lights are out], the 'ojek', the
'andong' or 'delman' horse-drawn carts [rare nowadays in most centres but
often found on the fringe and in small towns], regular taxis for the
bourgiousie the 'mikrolet' medium-sized vans [Colts, Diahatsus, etc.]
seating around 12 pax., some larger minibuses [20 pax], and the like. In
Jakarta they also have the horrid little bajaj of South Asia - dirty,
expensive little three wheeled motortrikes. Only mikrolettes and up have
'fixed' routes, the rest are for hire services. Then there are the bus
companies, Govt and non-government [ususally you can tell the difference
right away and the fares correspond somewhat to maintenance and service
levels].

Traffic flows are something to behold. Reg's are almost never enforced and
with highly varying traffic speeds the usual Two-Thirds-World mayhem
results. The corruption is so endemic, so open and yet so impenetrable in
society that almost nothing can change without paybacks to everyone in the
food chain. Desk job public servants in transport and planning agencies
usually receive two paychecks. The first is their meagre 'formal' wages.
The second, coming around in bags the next week, is the distribution of the
much larger 'informal' income - what they actually live on - collected from
'levies', bribes, kickbacks and so on. Even the way that pt fares are
collected is a way to lessen the damage of corrupt driver crews. Permits
are 'user-pays' of a sort. Monies are routinely misappropriated across
agencies and at many levels. And economically they still haven't really
come out of the shock of '97 with wild times ahead as the puppet-plays
continue in Jakarta. 

But I love the place!

Two tips: try and understand the particular characteristics of the local
operator associations for the mikrolettes pretty quickly - they can have
the often violent turf wars and other activities that happen in Africa and
the sub-Continent. The circumstances, rules and reg's differ from city to
city but the mikrolettes often form the backbone of the pt system, and not
the regular buses. Secondly, make sure you determine who owns the different
bus companies in Malang - you might be surprised how various high-ranking
army groups, Chinese interests and old Suharto cronies can all be key
players in the pt industry. Fare structures, route declarations and the
like for all vehicle types are locally controlled with governor veto being
a prominent element - a recipe for decision-making favouring certain vested
interests. 

For assistance from some of the main researchers who have done a great deal
of previous research contact Prof. Kusbiantoro and the others [Soegijoko
etc.] at the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies / Centre for
Research on Transportation and Communcation at Institut Teknologi Bandung
[his e-mail is something like p3wkitb at melsa.net.id; ph. +62 221 250 7069 -
Indonesian business cards are generically unreadable]. 

Then there's Dr Danung Parikesit and friends at the Civil Engineering dept
at Gadja Madha University in Yogyakarta [only number I have is +62 274
512796 but it might also not be accurate].

Finally, can I recommend you read one book before heading there. And it's
not a text on Indonesian transport. Friends [including members of my own
Department here at UQ] have come to grief by not understanding the
institutional mayhem of Indonesian nepotism and corruption - afterall,
CorporateWatch did place Indonesia in the top three 'most corrupt' nations
on the planet, alongside Nigeria and Cameroon recently! Try and read a copy
of Michael Backman (1999) "Asian eclipse : exposing the dark side of
business in Asia", John Wiley & Sons; New York.

All the best with it and if you wish to contact me again, please don't
hesitate to either call or reply e-mail. Though from what I gather, you
should be fine. 

Yours truly,

Matt

--- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Matthew Burke
Department of Geographical Sciences and Planning
University of Queensland
BRISBANE  QLD  4072
[w] +61 7 3365 3836
e-mail: matt.burke at mailbox.uq.edu.au
--- --- --- --- --- --- ---


----------
> From: Alan P Howes <howesap at saptco.com.sa>
> To: sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org
> Subject: [sustran] Re: Quote - and Help Wanted (Indonesia)
> Date: Wednesday, 20 September 2000 19:01
> 
> Fatima Mansions? Who They?
> 
> Anyway, I will try to dig out my Jonathon Ross quote that I used to put
in
> my sig in the good old days of Usenet. (Access to which I am now denied -
> and anyway it's got rather flaky.)
> 
> Something like "No man should be allowed behind the wheel of a car until
he
> is old enough to appreciate a fine cigar, a glass of port, and the
company
> of a woman who does not look like Pamela Anderson". (I _have_ heard of
her.)
> In fact, I think that's pretty close to the original. Class of alcohol
may
> be wrong.
> 
> BTW, I may well be doing some work in the heart of SUSTRAN territory
> shortly. Sorting out buses in Malang, Java, starting November. About 8
> weeks, but yet to be confirmed. I've dug through the Sustran archive, but
> would welcome any other offers of advice (Paul?). For a start, what is an
> ocek? (Not mentioned in Lonely Planet!) Oops! Found it. Motorbike-taxi.
But
> there must be plenty else I need to learn.
> 
> Cheers, Alan.
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Hayes, Paul (TSA)" <Paul.Hayes at transport.sa.gov.au>
> To: <sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2000 11:24 AM
> Subject: [sustran] Re: Quote
> 
> 
> > Hi Chris,
> >
> > The Fatima Mansions coined a song entitled "Only Losers take the bus" -
I
> > can send you the schizophrenic lyrics if you like.  Perhaps an example
of
> > the individual / frontier ethic in pop/rock ... Of course, the are
plenty
> of
> > ripostes in popular culture (Gridlock etc)
> >
> > Paul Hayes
> 
>  --
> howesap at saptco.com.sa
> Alan Howes, Special Advisor, Saudi Public Transport Company, Riyadh
> +966 1 454 5000 ext. 156
> Personal email: alanhowes at usaksa.com
> 
>