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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Drivers of urban public transportation vehicles (angkot) went on strike in three West Jakarta locations on Wednesday to urge the government to set new fares which were adjusted to the newly raised fuel oil prices.

The Traffic Management Center (TMC) of Jakarta Police said on Wednesday the angkok drivers went on strike in three locations of Palmerah, Meruya and Joglo in West Jakarta.

Drivers who went on strike were of mikrolet (mini bus) M08 serving Tanah Abang - Kota route, M09 (Kebayoran Lama - Tanah Abang route), M11 (Meruya Ilir - Tanah Abang route) and M24 (Joglo - Grogol route).

A number of M11 drivers had been on strike since last Monday because they had not yet received new transportation fare rates from the authorities concerned.

Ali, a driver of M08, said they would continue to go on strike until the organization of public transportation owners (Organda) issued a list of new tariffs.

Other driver, Andi, said after the government raised fuel oil prices, drivers had got a lot of troubles to meet the Rp200,000 they had to pay to the vehicles` owners every day.

The government last Friday raised fuel oil prices by an average of 28.7 percent.

Chairman of Organda for Jakarta branch, Harry Rotty said previously that his side would raise public transportation fares by about 50 percent if the options his organization had offered were not met by the government.

"We want an increase of 40 to 50 percent of tariffs, unless public transportation vehicles are allowed to buy fuel oils at the old rate (subsidized fuel)." Rotty said.

The Jakarta branch of Organda urged the Jakarta administration to provide fuel oil subsidy for public vehicles, reduce tax they had to pay and abolish levies they were obliged to pay.

Head of Jakarta Transportation Service Nurchaman said meanwhile that public transportation could raise their fares not more than 15 percent.

Source