0 City Transportation Council Demands Uniform Salary for TransJakarta Drivers

The Jakarta City Transportation Council (DTKJ) is demanding that all TransJakarta bus drivers be paid a uniform salary of Rp 7.7 million ($791) per month, regardless of the corridors they serve. The TransJakarta operator subcontracts the bus service to several private operators who each serve a section of the city’s 12 corridors. DTKJ chairman Azas Tigor Nainggolan said on Thursday that the difference in pay between the private operators of the public bus network could prompt jealousy among drivers and would not be conducive to good performance. 

“I think that a uniform wage of Rp 7.7 million for TransJakarta drivers is quite adequate. The risks faced by these drivers are quite high and operators such as Damri and Bianglala do understand this situation,” Azas said, referring to two of the bus companies who were already paying their drivers the sum. He said that the council believed uniform pay would encourage better performance from the drivers. “We fully support that operators should adjust the wages of these drivers. We believe that with such an adequate pay, the drivers would work their best,” he said. 

Maringan Pangaribuan, a member of the Jakarta Legislative Council, also backed the uniform salary level for the bus drivers. “Operators who have not yet adjusted their wages to the Rp 7.7 million level should launch moves to make their management more efficient. The pay for drivers should be uniform, there should be no gap,” Maringan said. None of the officials said how much the other operators paid their drivers. But TransJakarta Management Unit (BLU TransJakarta) chief Muhammad Akbar said that since 2011, the company stipulates in contracts with drivers a pay that is at least 3.5 times the minimum wage for Jakarta. Akbar said that 3.5 times the minimum wage came to Rp 7.7 million.

source : the jakarta globe