Fighting Air Pollution: Jakarta Will Have 'Zero Tolerance' for Old Angkot
Jakarta. The Jakarta administration will show zero tolerance to public minivans, or angkot, older than 10 years, while offering a better scheme to operators, an official said.
Syafrin Liputo, head of the Jakarta Transportation Agency, said a new policy will be implemented to ensure greater passenger comfort, while also reducing air pollution.
The Indonesian capital has a serious problem with air pollution and it is currently dealing with a lawsuit by several environmental organizations for failing to address the worsening air quality.
"Regarding the age limit on public transportation vehicles, they should not be older than 10 years. There is a regulation on that," Syafrin said on Saturday, referring to a 2014 provincial regulation that provided angkot operators with a five-year transition period.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has issued gubernatorial instruction 66 of 2019 to enforce this regulation.
Apart from integrating all forms of public transportation with the TransJakarta busway, the regulation also makes provision for a scheme that will see the provincial government subsidize transportation operators.
Syafrin said under the current dispensation, after bus operators secure permits, they must struggle to ensure their vehicles carry enough passengers to cover their operational costs, including fuel, maintenance and labor.
The planned scheme will see the provincial administration cover these costs. For example, if it is determined that it costs Rp 12,000 (85 US cents) per kilometer to operate a minibus, the provincial government will pay this amount to operators so they do not have to strain to get enough passengers to make every trip economically viable.
These costs should cover drivers' salaries, investment costs, interest costs, management costs, vehicle maintenance and a reasonable profit for the operator.
"So they will only have to focus on providing the best service. The provincial government will cover operators' costs per trip," Syafrin said, adding that the government would also set key performance indicators for the minimum standard of service.
"The governor said the city wants to ensure that there is a good business process in the public transportation sector. We want to ensure operators' sustainability, while at the same time, ensure the public receives services based on set standards," he said.
Jakarta is known for its notorious traffic jams. Insufficient public transportation is part of the reason many people still use private vehicles. Many of the public minibuses are also very old, while drivers drive recklessly to get enough passengers, or stop anywhere they wish, as they must generate enough revenue to cover their wages, maintenance costs and operators' profit.
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