Indonesia’s public transportation systems need urgent reforms, an issue that should be on the immediate agenda of the new central government, experts say.

Transportation revitalization should include reforms to public transport financial management, Harya Setyaka S. Dillon said at a journalist workshop organized by the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) on the weekend.

The current system, by which drivers pay rental fees to public vehicle owners, should be changed to a per-kilometer rate controlled by the administration, he said.

"The government must make a regulation to replace the old [system]," Harya said.

If the move required a post in the city budget, Harya said, the expense was worth the improvements to public service it would bring.

A per-kilometer rate would guarantee drivers’ and transportation operators’ incomes, thus improving services, which in turn would maintain loyal users and attract private vehicle owners to switch to public transportation, Harya said.

Read more: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/09/07/new-govt-urged-fix-public-transportation-services.html

Source: The Jakarta Post (www.thejakartapost.com)