Hundreds of New TransJakarta Buses Left Neglected in Bus Pool
Reported by Rio Sandiputra | Translated by Isa Efriadi
As many as 140 buses, that planned to be operated for TransJakarta Integrated City Bus (BKTB), are left neglected in Ciputat PPD Bus Pool, Tangerang Selatan (Tangsel) City, Banten, West Java. This fact is very ironic in the midst of increasing amount of TransJakarta and BKTB passengers.
If these buses to be checked for KIR, technicians would come to conduct trial and probably undergo service. There are no technicians here, it is only a place to park the buses
Those made-in-China buses are the result of procurement held by Jakarta Transportation Department. They have not been operated because the sub-contract of auction winner, PT Mekar Armada Jaya, has not been paid by Jakarta Provincial Government, and the auction project continues to General Attorney’s Office.
Based on beritajakarta.com observations in Ciputat PPD Bus Pool, the 140 TransJakarta buses consist of big buses to be operated in TransJakarta bus corridors, and medium-sized buses to serve as BKTB. On the window glasses, there are writings of ‘PT Ifanin Dewi’ and ‘PT Adi Tehnik Equipindo’ which are the auction winners.
City Handed Bus Procurement to PT TransjakartaThe pool was quiet. Some mechanics from Spheros Company were seen checking the air conditioner in one of the BKTB buses. “We’re only checking the air conditioner. All of the buses’ air conditioners are from us. But, we don’t know about the machine’s checking,” said Juanda, one of the mechanis, Tuesday (5/20).
Meanwhile, big-sized buses for TransJakarta buses have been equipped with CCTVs which installed above front and rear windows and connected to a small monitor in the driver’s control panel room. The CCTVs functioned to record and monitor traffic outside as well as the passengers’ condition inside the bus.
There are 28 chairs inside these TransJakarta buses, with two chairs specially intended for elder people, pregnant women, or women who bring child. To maintain cleanliness, trash cans are put in front of the bus’ doors. Indeed, it is very unfortunate if these buses left neglected without confirmation when they can be used by the citizens.
According to the bus pool security officer whose name refused to be mentioned, technicians do not come every day to check those buses. “If these buses to be checked for KIR, technicians would come to conduct trial and probably undergo service. There are no technicians here, it is only a place to park the buses,” he told.
When beritajakarta.com contacted Head of Jakarta Transportation Department, M Akbar, to comment on the buses left neglected, the calls were not answered and some short messages were also not replied.
Earlier, Jakarta Vice Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama stated that Jakarta Provincial Government will not pay 531 buses out of 656 buses procured in 2013. From that procurement, only four packages have been paid, or about 125 buses which have been operated.
At this time, the General Attorney’s Office is investigating alleged corruption act in this TransJakarta bus procurement which worth Rp 1 trillion and Rp 500 million for regular public transportation procurement held by Jakarta Transportation Department in budget year 2013. Four people have been named as suspects, including former Head of Jakarta Transportation Department, Udar Pristono.
