Knocked Out: The End Story of The Metromini Bus

Iqbal Septian Nugroho (merdeka.com, Jakarta)

Innovation, beside generate new positive impacts to the community, also can cause sorrow to them who got discarded as the effect. Namely TransJakarta Bus and online transportation rapidly growing in recent days in the City. Their presence bring heavy blow, deadly bullet, time bomb to the owners and drivers of the wretched Metromini.

Metromini started in Jakarta in 1962, introduce by the governor Soemarmo, under instruction of President Soekarno, to cover transportation for the participants of GANEFO (sport tournament for developing countries). Known as “Red Bus”, Metromini has been the favorite mass transportation for Jakartans. In 1990, Metromini has dominated of 60 routes in Jakarta with total fleet of 3000 buses.

However, coming to 2013 the engine pulse of Metromini started to falter due to the beginning era of TransJakarta Bus, adding to internal problem of PT Metromini. From 60 routes, only half remained active. And total of 1600 bus has been confiscated by the Jakarta Government due to bad condition of the buses.

Jakarta under the Governor Basuki Tjahaya Purnama, increasingly ditched the glory of “The Road King”. More and more Metromini was discarded to Rawa Buaya, a location known as “Metromini Graveyard”.

Currently, only a dozen of Metromini bus left in Jakarta. Many of its owner forcibly sell it to blacksmith because the revenue keep decreasing since the passenger shifted to TransJakarta and online transportation. In additional, the Department of Transportation do road raids more frequently.

Other than its owners, the impact also affected the drivers. They lost their many years income source. Many of them has returned to their hometown to open tires repair shop, scavenging, and many also have lost their family due to economic dispute.

These men are only experienced as Metromini drivers, not other kind of transport. They were refused when applying to another type of transportation such as taxi; besides becoming TransJakarta driver require more qualification, suchlike certificate of education.

“Indonesia does not need our service, it only need certificate” said Nababan (42) an ex-owner of Metromini, who is now open tire repair shop after he lost 50 Metromini buses.