TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama said that he has passed a Gubernatorial Decree which effectively increases the fares of public transportation by Rp 1,000 or 30 percent, on Monday, November 24, 2014. "The average price is now Rp 4,000," said Ahok.

According to the Head of Jakarta's Transport Agency, Muhammad Akbar, the new fares will be in effect starting on Monday, November 24, 2014, and assured that the increase was based on calculations that constitutes the operators' profits, as well as the daily average number of passengers on Jakarta's public transportation network. According to Akbar, the administration's calculation yielded an optimum fare of Rp 4,100, a figure which Jakarta's administrator have decided to round up to Rp 4,000.

Akbar added that the factors that was taken into account include operational costs, which includes fuel, drivers' wages, as well as the vehicles' repairs and maintenance costs.

An official with the Organization of Land Transportation Operators (Organda), Andre, said that the 30 percent fare hike is in line with Organda's recommendations, which took into account the recent cuts to fuel subsidies, which increases operating costs by an average of 36 percent, as well as vehicle maintenance costs, as well as the drivers' wages, all of which needs to be adjusted for inflation.

That said, a transportation analyst from the University of Indonesia, Ellen Tankudung, believes that the policy is rather inappropriate, because such fare increase are not accompanied with a corresponding improvement in terms of fleet and services. "Passengers still need to make do with unsafe and uncomfortable means of public transportation," said Ellen, referring to Jakarta's ageing fleet of buses and minibuses.

ALI NY | ERWAN HERMAWAN