[sustran] Jakarta Post news

[Craig Townsend]

Two items from the Jakarta Post Internet Edition, 18 February 2000
__________________________________________________________________
Government plan to increase tolls opposed

JAKARTA (JP): Consumer activists, councilors and residents voiced
opposition on Thursday to the government's plan to increase toll road
charges 25 percent. 

Contacted separately by The Jakarta Post, they accused toll road operators
of only looking after their own interests, while ignoring the interests of
the public. 

The head of the law division at the Indonesian Consumers Association,
Sudaryatmo, suggested the government listen to the people and take into
consideration their opinions. 

"They (the authorities and toll road operators) always argue to increase
the tolls because the maintenance costs of the toll roads are much higher
than their revenue. 

"But they're never transparent about their financial performance,"
Sudaryatmo said. 

"That's why we should first have an open discussion of the matter. It's
possible that the high (maintenance) costs are caused by, among other
things, inefficiency," he said. 

The Ministry of Public Works announced on Wednesday a planned 25-percent
increase in tolls on seven toll roads across the country due to increases
in maintenance costs. 

The ministry also said the tolls on these seven roads had not been
increased for eight years. 

The proposal must be approved by legislators before being enacted, the
ministry added. 

The increase is set to take effect on the Jagorawi, Jakarta-Cikampek and
Jakarta-Tangerang toll road, West Java's Tangerang-Merak and Padalarang-
Cileunyi toll roads, East Java's Surabaya-Gempol toll road and the Belawan-
Medan-Tanjung Morawa toll road in North Sumatra. 

The first four toll roads are used by large numbers of Jakartans each day. 

The government's plan to hike tolls stunned many motorists, particularly
Jakartans, who face traffic congestion and poorly maintained roads during
their daily commute on the toll roads. 

"Motorists still experience traffic jams. There is also damage along the
toll roads," Sudaryatmo said. 

He said Law No. 13/1990 on Roads stipulated that toll roads served a social
function. "So it's wrong if the operators only consider the business
aspects (of the toll increase)." 

Many of the toll roads in the capital and across the country were developed
and are managed by PT Jasa Marga, the state-owned toll road operator. A few
of the toll roads were developed by the private sector and are jointly
managed with Jasa Marga. 

Insensitive 

The deputy chairman of Jakarta City Council Commission E for social welfare
affairs, Ishak Iskandar, said the planned toll hike showed the government's
insensitivity to the difficulties faced by the public due to the economic
crisis. 

"Toll roads have become a public need, as public buses also use them. So
the toll increase will automatically effect the bus fares. Such things
should also be considered," Ishak said. 

The councilor added that he could not accept the government's excuse of
spiraling maintenance costs. 

"Toll roads have been operated for years so, off course, the business must
have borne profit. 

"Why don't they share the profits with people who are still facing economic
difficulties," Ishak asked. 

His position was supported by councilor Abdul Aziz Matnur of Commission A
for administrative affairs. 

Aziz said the government should bear in mind that toll increases could
trigger the ire of the public. "The operators always publicly announce
their financial losses but have never disclosed their profits to the people." 

Separately, several public bus drivers and their assistants were surprised
upon learning of the planned toll increase. 

Erwin, an assistant on a bus plying the Kampung Rambutan route in East
Jakarta and the Grogol route in West Jakarta, was opposed to the plan,
saying it would only add to the burdens faced by people like him. 

"Every day we spend more than Rp 30,000 on toll road charges. The toll
increase will mean a lot to us," he said. 

Bus driver Sunardi, who plies the Kampung Rambutan and Kalideres routes,
voiced similar sentiments. "Please consider us," he said. 

Data from 1998 from Jasa Marga showed the company collected an average of
between Rp 90 million and Rp 100 million per day on the 72-kilometer
Jakarta-Cikampek toll road. 

In January last year, the firm's president, Wiyoga Adiwasito, announced
Jasa Marga's 1998 toll revenue dropped by almost 7 percent to some Rp 676.2
billion from Rp 727 billion in 1997. The fall in revenue was blamed on a
decline in the number of vehicles using toll roads due to the country's
economic crisis. (ind) 

__________________________________________________________________
Pedicab drivers sue Governor Sutiyoso for operating ban

JAKARTA (JP): Six becak (pedicab) drivers claiming to represent some 130
fellow drivers lodged a civil lawsuit against Governor Sutiyoso on Thursday. 

Accompanied by several lawyers, the six men filed the lawsuit at the
Central Jakarta District Court. The suit demands the governor allow pedicab
drivers to operate in housing complexes and markets in the capital. 

According to their lawyers, including Apong Herlina from the Jakarta Legal
Aid Institute and Sri Wiyanti Eddyono from the Legal Aid Institute-
Indonesian Women's Association for Justice, the class action was signed by
139 pedicab drivers working in the city. 

They represent the approximately 5,000 to 7,000 pedicab drivers in the
capital, the lawyers said. 

The filing of the lawsuit was witnessed by some 150 pedicab drivers, some
of whom parked their three-wheeled vehicles outside the district court
building. 

Also present was Wardah Hafidz, coordinator of the Urban Poor Consortium, a
non-governmental organization which has in the past organized protests
against the city administration's policy banning pedicabs in the city. 

The six pedicab drivers filing the suit were identified as Affendi,
Mochtar, Mualim, Slamet Rahardjo, Kliwon and Budi. 

Court official U.Dj. Sidabalok, who met with the pedicab drivers and their
lawyers, said his office would process the lawsuit soon. 

"Hopefully, the first session of the trial can be held no more than two
weeks from now," he said. 

Usually, the opening session is held at least three weeks after a lawsuit
is filed. 

The pedicab drivers alleged in their lawsuit Governor Sutiyoso was
inconsistent in his policy on pedicabs in the city. 

"Bylaw No. 11/1988 rules that pedicabs are banned in the city, but on June
25 last year, Governor Sutiyoso -- through the media -- decided to allow
pedicab drivers to operate in the city due to the economic crisis," they
said in the lawsuit. 

The pedicab drivers said they were pleased with this decision, but shortly
afterward the governor reversed his decision and instructed all five mayors
in Jakarta to ban the operation of pedicabs in the city beginning on June
30, according to the lawsuit. 

"This instruction was followed by the confiscation of numerous pedicabs
throughout the city by city officials, sometimes through violence," the
lawsuit reads. 

The lawsuit also alleges the governor's ruling violated the principles of
the law. 

"Even President Abdurrahman Wahid said on Jan. 23 that pedicabs were
allowed to operate in housing complexes here," the lawsuit says. 

After filing the suit, Sri Wiyanti said the class action was necessary for
efficiency and to minimize the court costs. "(With a class action) there's
no need to file lawsuits one by one." 

She also said the lawyers involved in the suit would distribute thousands
of special cards to pedicab drivers expected to attend the court
proceedings. The cards, called client cards, will protect their becak from
being seized by city officials during their trips to the court, Sri said.
(asa) 
________________________________________________
Craig Townsend
Institute for Sustainability & Technology Policy
Murdoch University
South Street, Murdoch
Perth, Western Australia 6150

tel: (61 8) 9360 6293
fax: (61 8) 9360 6421
email: townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au