Merpati Boeing fails to take off

The Jakarta Post

TIMIKA, Papua: A Merpati Boeing 737-300 did not take off Friday from Mozes Kilangin International Airport in Timika, Papua, because of a system failure, said an airline spokesman.

The airplane was supposed to fly to Sentani Airport in Jayapura but will instead remain in Timika until Saturday for repairs.

Passengers were put up overnight in hotels in the town.

The aircraft, which serves Jakarta-Surabaya-Makassar-Timika-Jayapura route, arrived in Timika at 1 p.m. and was scheduled to leave at 2 p.m.

Head of Merpati's office in Timika, Sugiarto, said the plane's 102 passengers were on board the plane for about 10 minutes before the pilot informed them of the system failure.

"We've tried to repair the plane but it couldn't fly due to the failure ... we're sorry for the inconvenience but this is a system failure and not something our officials have made up," Sugiarto said. -- JP

Indonesia seeks India's clarification on forced Garuda flight rerouting

Posted April 13th, 2007 by Tarique

Indianmoslims.info

Jakarta, April 13 (NNN-ANTARA) The Indonesian government will soon summon the Indian ambassador to Indonesia to ask for clarification of a recent incident in which two Garuda Indonesia planes were forced to reroute their flights due to an Indian ballistic missile test.

"We will try to get clarification from the Indian side on the incident," Foreign Ministry spokesman Y. Kristiarto S. Legowo told the press here on Friday.

He said two Garuda planes which were respectively heading for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, were forced to change their routes and eventually had to return to Jakarta on Thursday due to the test-firing of an Indian nuclear capable intermediate-range ballistic missile.

"The Garuda planes were forced to reroute their flights because of the test and in the end returned to Jakarta," he said.

He said the Indonesian government needed to get an explanation from India on the case soon.

"We hope that countries in the region will each contribute to the maintenance of good neighbourliness, including in this case," Y. Kristiarto S. Legowo said.

An official of Indonesia-flag carrier Garuda Indonesia earlier said that the Garuda planes were flying over Colombo and India when they were forced to reroute.

Garuda had not received any prior warning about the missile test, he said.

India announced Thursday it had successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile that can reach the Chinese cities of Beijing and Shanghai.

The Agni-III missile was launched from Wheeler Island, 180 km northeast of Bhubaneswar, capital of the eastern state of Orissa.

Kristiarto Legowo said the Indian ambassador must explain as soon as possible why the incident happened since the airspace should have been closed.

"Usually closed airspace is alerted to international authorities but the fact is, our plane flew and had to return," he said.

The ministry could lodge a formal protest over the incident, Indonesia's Transport Minister Hatta Rajasa told the Kompas newspaper.

"There was no prior information about the test," the national carrier's operations director Ari Sapari was quoted as saying in the report.

"This clearly disrupted our schedule and caused us big losses," Sapari was quoted as saying. The plane resumed its journey four hours later.

Police offer safety course for motorcyclists

The Jakarta Post

BANDUNG, West Java: The Traffic Directorate of the National Police is offering a safety course for motorcycle riders in 100 cities across the country.

Patar Gunawan, head of development at the directorate, said the course was necessary to help motorcyclists drive safely on the country's roads. He said a high percentage of traffic accidents involved motorcycles.

"Of the 17,000 traffic fatalities in Indonesia last year, 12,000 were motorcycle riders. Our major concern is how to reduce that number," Patar said.

The officer said the safety course would be offered this month in a number of cities, including Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Surabaya and Denpasar.

He said there were at least 35 million motorcycles in use across Indonesia, and that many of these motorcyclists had little idea about safe driving. -- JP

Emissions testing put on hold, again

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Jakarta administration's plan to punish motorists who failed emissions tests was delayed again Thursday, pending the completion of an ordinance that would be used as guidelines for the plan.

The Partnership for Clean Emissions (MEB), which was tasked by the administration to draft and oversee the implementation of mandatory emissions tests, said the enforcement of the plan had to be delayed until September.

The partnership had previously planned to complete the draft of the gubernatorial decree for the plan by March, giving time for public campaigns before enforcing it in July.

The drafting of the decree began in February, one year after the administration passed an ordinance on air pollution control.

"Drafting the gubernatorial decree has not been as smooth as we expected. We missed all our previous targets. So the enforcement of the law (now) can be carried out in September," John Livingstone Wuisan, the MEB's secretary-general, said.

He said the Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) aimed to put the law into force on Sept. 6, World Ozone Day.

The administration had earlier said it would fully enforce emissions testing in July, when the term of Governor Sutiyoso expires.

Jakarta is scheduled to hold its gubernatorial election in August.

John said the decree delay had also effected the process of certifying the auto garages that would perform the emissions testing.

"The administration is still assessing 55 auto garages. Another 80 garages interested in hosting emissions tests have been registered with the city," he said.

In addition, John said, the Association of Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers (Gaikindo) had offered the use of 297 of its auto garages for the program.

The city currently has 115 certified auto garages with 239 technicians authorized to perform emissions tests.

In order to expedite the program, small enterprises may also be allowed to open shops to conduct emissions tests.

The draft plan would see all cars traveling in the capital, including Bekasi, Depok, Tangerang and Bogor, forced to comply with the emissions standard.

The administration first announced vehicles were required to have emissions tests in February.

However, private vehicle owners have so far not been sanctioned for failing to obtain an inspection certificate.

The emissions test program follows from a 2005 bylaw on air pollution control, aimed at cleaning the air in the capital.

Under the bylaw, which also requires public transport vehicles to run on compressed natural gas, the maximum punishment allowable is six months' jail or a Rp 50 million fine.

Woman killed by train in C. Jakarta

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA: A woman died after being hit by a train in Pondok Jati, Central Jakarta, on Thursday morning.

Sumaryani, 43, a civil servant, had just dropped her child off at kindergarten, when she ducked under a railroad crossing gate and attempted to cross the tracks, according to a witness.

As the woman attempted to climb onto the railroad platform, she lost her balance and was hit by the passing locomotive. She died almost instantly of massive head trauma.

"She crossed the tracks even though she could see the approaching train," said Kasuwat, who was the crossing guard on duty at the time of the accident.

"The locomotive was only moving about five kilometers an hour."

On Wednesday, two men died after being hit by trains in separate locations in the city.

Railroad accidents occur frequently in Jakarta, despite safety measures and public warnings at railway crossings.

Adj. First Insp. I Wayan Pharma, a police officer from Duren Sawit subprecinct, said he usually received two to three fatal train accident reports every week. --JP

Indonesia`s March car sales up 26 pct yoy

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Domestic car sales were 26 pct higher last month than a year before at 33,905 vehicles, according to the secretary of the Indonesian Automotive Industries Association, Prijono Sugiharto.

Car sales were 42 pct higher last month than in February, he said.

"The sharp month-on-month rise shows that the car industry has recovered from the impact of flooding in February," Sugiharto told XFN-Asia.

He said the flooding here and in neighboring areas had hurt both the production and sales of cars.

Sugiharto is also a director of PT Astra International. He said Astra should have seen a pick-up in car sales last month, supported by new models.

Two men killed in railway accidents

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA: Two men were crushed to death by trains in separate accidents Wednesday morning, after they ignored safety barriers and crossed onto the rails.

Andi Anom, 43, was riding his bicycle across the safety barrier at a railway junction near Klender Baru Station in East Jakarta when the Jakarta-Bekasi Express train appeared at high speed.

"He died instantly, with his head crushed and both arms broken," said Adj. First Insp. I Wayan Pharma from Duren Sawit police subprecinct in East Jakarta.

The other victim, Roy Awan, 35, was hit by a train as he crossed the railway track near Senen Station, Central Jakarta, at 9 a.m.

Both of the men's bodies were brought to the morgue at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Central Jakarta.

"We usually receive two to three accident reports in a week," said Pharma.

Another body was also brought into the morgue early Wednesday morning. Edi Darmanto, 49, died in Sumber Waras Hospital, West Jakarta, at 11:30 p.m. from an alleged drug overdose.

Police arrest 102 for auto theft

The Jakarta Post

Jakarta Police said Wednesday they arrested 102 suspects in the last month for car and motorcycle theft.

The deputy head of the police's general crime unit, Adj. Sr. Comr. Rudy Sufahriadi, said police had also confiscated 61 cars and 45 motorcycles from the suspects, along with false documents and equipment allegedly used in the thefts.

"(The suspects) belong to six different syndicates, most of them from other regions, who committed their operations in the city," he said.

Most of the suspects allegedly stole cars from upscale residential areas, but one syndicate allegedly led by a woman chartered cars from rental services and then pawned them.

"Renting cars is not expensive ... after they got the money from the pawn shops they ran away," Rudy said.

Most of the stolen cars were so-called multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) of various makes, including Toyota and Daihatsu. MPVs are easy to sell, especially in regions where they are used for public transport, Rudy added.

Japanese firms to vie for Indonesian railway project

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Three Japanese consortia have qualified to bid for a railway project in Indonesia expected to cost about 660 million dollars, an official said Thursday.

The Indonesian government has cleared the three groups to tender for the six-trillion-rupiah project to build a 35-kilometer, double-track railway line in West Java, railway spokesman Suprapto told AFP.

The consortia are Marubeni-Tokyu, Itochu-Taise and Mitsubishi-Sumitomo, he said.

The project is partly financed by a 41-billion-yen (343-million-dollar) loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

Consortia Tekken-Kajima and Takenaka-Mitsui failed to qualify, Suprapto said, adding the project would go out to tender in May with construction starting before the end of the year.

The railway line will link Manggarai in the south of the capital, Jakarta, to Cikarang in West Java.

The loan is repayable over 40 years, with a 10-year grace period, at an 0.95 percent annual interest rate.

Fuel saver theory on Garuda crash

Theage.com.au

A NEW Garuda Airlines policy of limiting fuel use may have influenced a pilot not to abort a Boeing 737 landing in Yogyakarta last month that resulted in 21 deaths, the head of the airline's pilots' association says.

Captain Stephanus Geraldus said the jet's pilot, Captain Marwoto Komar, made an "impossible" decision to continue landing at excessive speed.

His comments came after The Age revealed details of the preliminary crash investigation report, which found the plane was travelling at more than 400 km/h when Captain Komar hit the runway.

"This is a surprise, this is too fast. How could the pilot decide like that?" Captain Stephanus said. "The company is making extra payments to pilots if they can conserve fuel. Maybe this is bothering the pilot."

Captain Stephanus, who interviewed Captain Komar soon after the accident, said the pilot should have "gone around" and "there must be some human factor problem".

Indonesian officials released the accident report yesterday,after Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa tried to suppress its details.

The report finds the plane approached at "faster than normal speed with the flaps not configured for landing" and reveals the runway safety area at Yogyakarta does not meet international standards.

It also says fire and rescue vehicles were inadequately equipped and could not reach the scene quickly enough.

Several passengers are believed to have been burnt alive while airport fire trucks were unable to reach the jet, which caught fire from a ruptured fuel line soon after overshooting the runway.

The report rules out mechanical failure and weather conditions as causes of the crash, which left 21 people dead, including five Australians.

The report, by Indonesia's National Transport Safety Commission, calls for runways at major regional airports, including Yogyakarta, to be upgraded.

Chief investigator Mardjono Sisowosuwarno said a longer runway would not have prevented the crash as the plane was travelling too fast, "but it could have been less severe".

Commission chairman Tatang Kurniadi denied the pilots had argued in the cockpit about the need to abort the landing. He ruled out calling for prosecutions.

A separate Indonesian police investigation into the crash is continuing.

The report does not include a transcript of the flight's cockpit voice recorder, which is central to the ongoing investigation.

However, The Age believes the recording does not support claims that the pilot and co-pilot were arguing about aborting the landing during the plane's descent.

Only in the seconds before touchdown did the co-pilot suggest that the jet "go around" and re-attempt the landing.

Captain Komar continued to land, despite the jet's computer systems broadcasting warnings during the approach.

It is believed the voice recording includes an alarm and aural computerised warnings that sounded "whoop, whoop, pull up".

As the plane was travelling more than 160 km/h faster than safe landing speed, its wing flaps could also not be configured for landing.

Captain Stephanus said that "there must be some problem, it is not a good decision — there should be a go-around".

He said a new Garuda policy to pay pilots a3 per cent bonus if they conserved fuel could hamper flight safety.

Garuda did not return calls.

Toyota striving to lead mini-sedan market

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - PT Toyoto Astra Motor (TAM) is striving to become the leader in Indonesia`s mini-sedan industry by controlling more than 50 percent of the market which in 2007 is estimated to total 9,000 units, the company`s chief said.

"We wish to become the leader again in this market segment," TAM President Director Johny Darmawan said at the launching of the company`s global-standard All New Vios sedan here on Wednesday.

He said demand for mini sedans with a cylinder capacity below 1500 cc would rise following improvements in the country`s economy.

Last year, mini-sedan sales in the country reached 8,800 units and in 2007 it was expected to increase to 9,000 units.

He said he hoped with the launching of the global standard Vios sedan the company could secure 30 to 40 percent of the market in the country.

"As we start selling the sedan in April we hope sales until the end of this year will reach 4,800 to 5,000 units," he said.

He said he was optimistic the target would be met considering that the market of mini sedans would continue to grow in line with the improving economy.

He said the company would target young executives aged between 30 and 40 years.

"We believe the Vios this time will be able to beat its rivals as it has been able to lead the market in its class in other countries," he said.

In 2006 sales of Vios sedans in a number of Asean countries such as Thailand reached 36,000 units to secure around 38.6 percent of the market in its class. In Malaysia sales reached 21,000 units to secure 37.7 percent of the market.

In the Philippines and Vietnam it secured respectively 45.6 and 76.4 percent of the market.

In Indonesia it competed with Honda City which last year controlled 58.6 percent of the market. Vios sales in Indonesia last year accounted for 29.1 percent of the market.

Railway project to be revived

The Jakarta Post

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: The government will revive a plan for the construction of a 98-kilometer railway track between Simpang station in Ogan Ilir regency and Tanjung Api-api port on the eastern coast of South Sumatra, an official said Tuesday.

South Sumatra Governor Syahrial Oesman said the plan was briefly canceled following an order from Minister of Transportation Hatta Rajasa early last month.

However, Syahrial said Minister Hatta had since told him that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono wanted the project to go ahead as scheduled.

"So there is no longer any delay in the construction of the project," Syahrial said, adding that the project would cost Rp 1.54 trillion (approximately US$167 million).

The construction of the project is scheduled to start this year, he said.

Syahrial said that the South Sumatra provincial administration would be in charge of land clearing for both the railway track and stations.

"The South Sumatra provincial administration has earmarked funds amounting to Rp 48 billion for land clearing," he said.

Air Force campaigns for better safety

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In an attempt to minimize flight accidents within the Indonesian Air Force, the Force has imposed zero tolerance for reckless accidents, said a leading Air Force officer.

"We have established a kind of road map to zero accidents, although we all know that accidents are a difficult thing to avoid," Air Force chief of staff Air Chief Marshal Herman Prayitno said Monday.

Speaking to the media after chairing the 61st Anniversary of the Force at the Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase in East Jakarta, Herman said pilots and supporting flight divisions must exercise caution and obey procedures.

"Proper training is imperative. If we follow all the procedures, we can be confident that we are safe," Herman, himself a fighter pilot, said.

"Accidents can be avoided if we are not careless ... They usually occur when procedures are violated."

Addressing the anniversary ceremony, Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Air Chief Marshal Djoko Suyanto said that enacting safety procedures must be a priority among the Air Force's pilots and supporting officers.

"I hope that all Air Force personnel will always prioritize safety in all military operations -- both war and non-war," Djoko said in a written statement, which was read out by Herman.

Djoko said that in concurrence with the Force's 61st anniversary, the Air Force should be ready to defend the country with "zero tolerance" of accidents.

"Flight safety is a key to the success of the Air Force in performing its task," the TNI chief said.

"As an integral part of the TNI, the Air Force is associated with sophisticated technology and managing expensive equipment. If some of this is damaged or broken, it will not be easy to mend the parts quickly because of a long repair process and high costs."

Djoko said that this sophisticated technology should mean that Air Force personnel are diligent, conscientious and have high levels of discipline.

He said the country is still facing the difficult test of global competition and is dealing with poverty, natural disasters and the external threat of terrorism. Therefore, the Indonesian Air Force needs to perform well to work to overcome these problems.

Present at the ceremony were Army Chief of Staff Gen. Djoko Santoso, Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Slamet Subijanto and National Police chief Gen. Sutanto.

The ceremony was marked with an aerial acrobatic show from F-5 Tigers and Hawk 109 and 209 jet fighters flying above the crowds in an arrow formation and marching band performances. It was attended by hundreds of Air Force personnel.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, 497 Air Force personnel were awarded the Swa Bhuana Paksa Nararya award from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for their services. The Air Force chief, representing the President, symbolically presented the awards to the recipients.

Govt to build disaster relief depots

Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government plans to set up a nationwide network of depots for emergency relief supplies and form a new national agency tasked with managing natural disasters in the country.

The "disaster logistics depots" will be established in each provincial capital, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie said. They will be stockpiled with enough food and medicine supplies to handle the occurrence of a natural disaster in each region.

The depots will also be supplied with equipment and transportation vehicles to ensure the quick and effective distribution of supplies to disaster victims during emergency relief efforts.

"This is part of our effort to improve disaster management in the country, by `regionalizing' it," Aburizal told reporters after a meeting Monday with Vice President Jusuf Kalla and National Coordination Agency chief Syamsul Maarif.

"The plan for the logistics depots is to overcome logistics and transportation problems in relief situations. These are areas which have hampered the quick mitigation of disasters in the past," Aburizal said.

The government expects the establishment of logistics depots to make future relief efforts more efficient and avoid the high costs associated with "sending out Hercules planes from Jakarta just to ship supplies of instant noodles," Aburizal said. Managed as a network, the depots could support each other, with those in the vicinity of a disaster-affected region serving as the nearest back-up facility.

However, he declined to mention how much the establishment of the network of logistics depots would cost, or when operations would commence.

The government has allocated Rp 2 trillion (US$219 million) for disaster mitigation purposes in this year's state budget, with several disaster-affected regions already proposing an additional Rp 2.7 trillion in funds. The government also plans to set up a nationwide early warning system throughout the country by 2008.

A string of disasters have hit the country in recent years. The Coordinating Ministry Office has cited floods as the most frequently occurring disaster, while earthquakes cause the most human casualties and fires cause the greatest material losses.

Aburizal said the depots will be managed locally in each region, but will remain under the auspices of the central government -- in this case, the new National Disaster Management Agency that will be formed.

"We are still working out who will manage the facilities. It may either be the local administration, or the local military," he said.

Aburizal also said the depots would be separate from the rice stockpile depots managed by the National Logistics Agency, although they may work in cooperation.

Aburizal said the government expects the new National Disaster Management Agency to be formed within 6 months, as required by a new law on disaster management that the House of Representatives passed in March. However, the government is still discussing how it will replace the existing National Coordination Board (Bakornas) and National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).

Bad manners Busway is a test for all Jakartans

The Jakarta Post

Meet what might be Jakarta's new agent of behavioral change: the busway.

Since the introduction of the TransJakarta rapid bus in 2004, the capital has had no need for street signs calling for more urban discipline. People are now supposedly learning from experience.

Wait, first let's highlight the word supposedly. Today -- a little over two years after the busway's launch -- good behavior is still far from the norm.

Supposedly, people are required to learn several social manners when taking what is meant to be Jakarta's fastest means of transport.

You queue to buy the tickets. You queue in the shelters, letting others exit before you enter the bus. You don't bring food into the cabin and you give your seat away to elders, pregnant women and children.

Yes, those are all new manners for us Jakartans.

The guards in black and orange uniform are ready to make sure that you do just what you're supposed to.

But, on more than a handful of occasions, we still see people who suddenly appear to be deaf, who look at you with a poker face when you scold them for cutting into the long ticket queues.

"What?!" a woman said as she stared at us after pushing her way with her handbag into the small space between the ticket booth and my friend.

These occurrences, rare enough as they are, are what happens when times are good on the Busway.

But in the busway's newer corridors, peak hours tend to fill up the entirety of the buses' 15-hour daily operation, making everyone on board too cranky to show any manners at all.

Prior to taking a TransJakarta bus from Pulogadung to Harmoni Central Station, a dozen passengers waited for more than half an hour to get a tiny standing space inside the cabin.

After that irritating half hour spent watching packed buses pass by, it would be too much to expect passengers to let others exit before entering the bus.

Or would it?

Isn't it logical that we'd have more space to enter if we just waited a minute to let the others exit?

"But if you step back instead of pushing forward, you'll lose your space to the people next to you," a fellow passenger said.

"And if you enter a full bus, don't shift too far inside even if there's an empty space there. You'll have trouble getting off," was another trick they shared.

Once you're inside a packed bus, you feel no different from being inside a Metro Mini or a Kopaja, which is definitely why people still use the "survival of the fittest" tricks they learnt in the regular buses.

The guards no longer serve as etiquette police, but as kenek (driver's assistants) busy making sure that everyone can exit at their destination point.

"Pasar Baru! Pasar Baru!," shouted one guard as he tapped his wristwatch to the aluminum handle to grab more attention, a gesture similar to a kenek tapping on a Metro Mini window.

Those alerted that they were approaching their stop quickly shouted back at him "yes! Pasar Baru, wait, wait!"

Some had to really struggle their way out through tiny gaps in the crowd.

After some exited, they left free space deep at the back of the bus. Perhaps unsurprisingly, no one wanted to fill it, worried they would have to go through the same energy-consuming effort to reach the door.

Honestly, sometimes I find it hard to resist acting the same.

And there's practically no social pressure to behave better, as everyone would do much the same when the situation gets bad enough.

So do Jakartans really have a chance of having more discipline?

Looking into the technical details of why the discipline course being taught aboard the TransJakarta buses has failed can give us a more optimistic view.

No corridors have been yet been served with enough buses to adequately accommodate the number of passengers who use the busway.

There are only 96 out of 125 buses serving the Blok M-Kota route, 94 out of 126 for the Harmoni-Pulogadung and Harmoni-Kalideres routes and a mere 32 out of 112 for the other four corridors.

The TransJakarta operators complain the rest of the buses are still stuck at the customs office.

Just like those buses, passengers can also say that their social manners are still stuck -- perhaps somewhere inside the packed buses or back at the shelter they were waiting at for an excruciating half an hour.

But suppose there were enough buses available, could Jakartans can pass the Busway social manners test?

Well, could we?

-- Anissa S. Febrina

Tawang Jaya train surpasses maximum speed in Suradadi section

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA (JP): The National Committee for Transportation Safety (KNKT) said Sunday the Tawang Jaya train, which jumped its track in Suradadi, Tegal, Central Java on Saturday, has surpassed the maximum speed at the section.

Metro TV station quoted an official at KNKT that the speed at the Suradadi cross section was limited to 10 kilometers per hour, but the Tawang Jaya train speed was 60 kms/h at that time.

Two passengers including a baby were killed in the accident, while tens were injured.

Bhakti Investama to raise $340 million

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Publicly-listed investment firm PT Bhakti Investama plans to raise US$340 million through new bond and share issuances, using the proceeds to strengthen its holdings in media and toll road businesses.

The move follows previous intentions the firm had to spread its wings into the airline industry.

Bhakti Investama, which has a majority share in media giant PT Global Mediacom (formerly known as PT Bimantara Citra), will sell $170 million in bonds, which will be convertible into stock, and another $170 million in shares, the company said in a statement.

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., the fourth-largest U.S. securities firm, will participate in the plan, having agreed on April 5 to lend $100 million to the company at 6 percent interest, Bhakti Investama's president Hary Djaja said.

Two other undisclosed investors have also agreed to provide similar loans totaling another $100 million.

The loans will be converted into bonds and later switched to shares when the stock price reaches Rp 1,650 (18 U.S. cents).

Bhakti's shares, which are traded as BHIT on the Jakarta Stock Exchange, were unchanged at Rp 1,140 during last week's market closing.

Hary Djaja said the company will use the proceeds from the planned issuances to boost its stakes in Global Mediacom -- which owns a network of newspaper, television and radio stations as well as telco firm Mobile-8 -- and toll-road operator PT Citra Marga Nusaphala Persada.

Bhakti Investama currently owns a 41 percent stake in Global Mediacom, whose BMTR shares rose slightly by 0.5 percent to Rp 4,975 last week, and a 9 percent stake in Citra Marga, whose CMNP shares slipped 2.5 percent to Rp 1,950.

Other plans for the proceeds may include Bhakti Investama venturing into the airline industry, with the company currently in talks to buy a stake in PT Adam Skyconnection Airlines, planning to improve the privately-owned carrier which has been plagued by two accidents this year alone.

Bhakti Investama already owns publicly-listed chartered-carrier PT Indonesia Air Transport, whose IATA shares slipped 0.6 percent to Rp 146 last week.

Adam Air may sell a stake of less than 50 percent to Bhakti Investama, the airline's president director Adam Suherman had said.

Bhakti Investama's planned bond and share sale is still pending approval through an extraordinary shareholders meeting, Hary Djaja said. The company is also slated to hold its annual shareholders meeting in June.

Yamaha eyes sporty motorcyle market

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Japan-based motorcycle producer PT Yamaha Motor Kencana Indonesia (YMKI) expects to capture at least 20 percent of the country's growing sporty motorcycle market, the company's senior executive says.

"The sporty motorcycle market is growing but competition is also quite fierce," the company's president director Yoshiteru Takahashi said Saturday during a test drive of the company's new sport motorcycle the Yamaha V-Ixion.

He said sporty motorcycles accounted for between 8 and 9 percent of the country's total motorcycle sales, which was projected to reach 5.2 million units this year.

He acknowledged that sporty motorcycles were less popular here than the more dominant bebek motorbike, as users were mostly commuters who ride their motorbikes to work.

However, he added, there is a portion of consumers who like sporty motorcycles, which are equipped with a larger engine and more sophisticated technology.

Yamaha Indonesia plans to market its 150cc Yamaha V-Ixion, which is equipped with a fuel injection system, in May this year. The new motorcycle will also be exported to Vietnam, India, Malaysia and Thailand.

"We set a target of selling 5,000 units per month in Indonesia," Yoshiteru said, adding that with the new release he was upbeat the company could grab a bigger share of the nation's motorcycle market this year.

V-Ixion, which is produced at YMKI's plant, is the latest in Yamaha's series of sporty motorcycles. Its previous sporty brands include the 135cc RX King and the 225cc Scorpio. Yamaha is competing with Honda's Tiger and MegaPro in this particular market.

Total motorcycle sales in the country reached 5.1 million in 2005, 90 percent of which were bebeks. In 2006, sales plunged to 4.6 million.

In the first three months of this year, national motorcycle sales reached 1.05 million, with Astra Honda Motor controlling 43 percent of the market, Yamaha 41 percent and Suzuki and other producers holding the remaining 16 percent.

However, in March alone, Yamaha sales amounted to 43 percent of the 375,000 motorcycles sold, for the first time ever exceeding sales of Hondas, which amounted to 41 percent.

Adam Air jetliner returns to departure airport

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA (Antara): An Adam Air Boeing 737-200 jetliner had to return to its departure airport in Lampung on Sunday 10 minutes after taking off due to front wheel problem.

The troubled airplane with 125 passengers and eight crew members onboard took off from the Raden Inten II Airport, Branti, South Lampung at 10:15 a.m. but 10 minutes later it returned to the airport.

Training plane crashes, injuring two

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA (JP): A small airplane crashed in Ciputat district, Tangerang regency, Banten province, on the outskirts of Jakarta during a training flight Saturday, injuring two of the three aboard, report says.

Elshinta news radio reported that two of the injured people, now received medical treatments at state-owned Fatmawati hospital, South Jakarta.

Another person inside the ill-fated plane was now interrogated by the Pamulang police.

Death toll of train crash becomes two

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA (JP): Passengers, who were killed in a passenger train incident in Central Java, become two after another passenger died later in the day.

MetroTV television reported Kasbari, who was trapped in a train car for four hours, was finally dead after a hospital failed to save his life. He was a resident of Pemalang regency in Central Java.

Another casualty is a baby, who was killed earlier. The accident also wounded tens of other passengers.

The accident occurred when the train jumped its tracks and skidded into a rice field Saturday in an area some 250 kilometers east of Jakarta. Workers were now still evacuating train cars.

Indonesia has been hit by a string of deadly transportation disasters in recent months, including plane crashes, ferry sinking's and train accidents that together have killed more than 500 people.

Report: Doomed Garuda jet flying at double normal landing speed

The Jakarta Post

CANBERRA (AP): A Garuda Airlines passenger jet was flying at 410 kilometers (255 miles) per hour, almost double the normal landing speed, when it crash-landed at an Indonesian airport last month, killing 21 people, a newspaper reported Saturday.

A preliminary accident report prepared by Indonesian authorities pointed to pilot error as the cause of the Boeing 737-400 overshooting the runway and skidding into a rice field on March 7 at Yogyakarta airport, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. A reporter for the newspaper was seriously injured in the crash.

Aviation experts confirmed that speed and flap warnings would have sounded in the cockpit and the pilot should have aborted the landing, according to the newspaper, which said it had a copy of the confidential report, prepared by Indonesia's Transport Safety Committee.

Chief investigator Tatang Kurniadi confirmed that the airliner was flying too fast when it landed, Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio reported Saturday.

Australia's Nine Network reported this past week that Tatang said the pilot and co-pilot had been arguing moments before the crash.

The newspaper said the report found no evidence of the pilots arguing.

Cockpit data recordings showed no mechanical problems before the landing. The report said the weather was calm, contradicting the pilot's reported claim of a powerful down draft.

The report also found the airport runaway did not meet international safety standards. Its safety run-off was only a quarter the recommended length, the newspaper reported.

The crash killed 21 people, while 119 others were able to escape through the exits of the burning jet.

It was the fourth accident involving a commercial jetliner in Indonesia since 2005. Experts say poor maintenance, rule-bending and a shortage of properly trained pilots may contribute to the sprawling country's poor aviation safety record.

Crash investigator works 'within means'

The Jakarta Post

The key mission of the National Transportation Safety Commission (KNKT) is to investigate the cause of air, sea and railway accidents across the country. The Jakarta Post's Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo spoke with KNKT chairman Tatang Kurniadi about the commission's role and the challenges it faces.

Question: How did the KNKT start out?

Answer: The commission began as an aviation accident investigator, which was placed under the Directorate General of Air Transportation. Some experts from the Air Force were recruited into the body, such as myself, and also several legal experts.

The commission was adopted by the Transportation Ministry, based on a 1999 presidential decree. It changed its name to the National Transportation Safety Commission (KNKT) because it was the investigator for all modes of transportation accidents.

We also investigate both railway and automobile accidents. However, for most land accidents, the police usually take over the cases.

With sea accidents, we have the Nautical Court, which has the same function as the commission. To avoid the overlapping of functions, distinctive roles and laws for both bodies are needed.

Have operators complied with the findings and recommendations of the KNKT?

I am relatively new in this position. I was installed as KNKT chairman on March 5, so allow me to get back to that. Currently, we are handling the investigation of the recent Garuda Indonesia accident in Yogyakarta.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) says the KNKT must report to them about any air accidents. We have to do this within a specified time, but they can give us more time if a case is really complex. We want to show that we can work fast.

Can other countries meddle with an investigation being carried out by the commission?

There are several ICAO-set conditions that countries abide by regarding air accidents. These cover the design of aircraft, the country in which aircraft manufacturers are based, the country of registration, operators of aircraft, the location of occurrences and details pertaining to victims.

In the context of the Garuda accident, the jetliner was designed by Boeing and the country of manufacture was the U.S. It is a little more complex though, as several parts of the aircraft came from other countries, so they also have the right to receive our report.

The registry, which is the country where the operator is based, is Indonesia, while the operator is Garuda Indonesia.

The origin of victims is covered so we can also allow victims' countries to receive our report. In the Garuda accident, several passengers were foreigners.

If those countries wish to help, such as by helping us investigate a crash, then they must get our permission first for access. They cannot investigate an accident on their own. They may only do this if accompanied by the KNKT.

Australia has offered its services in extracting information from the Garuda airliner's black box. The black box, which has become Indonesia's asset, is being read in Canberra with the participation of Indonesian staff.

Because there was a portion of the black box that Australia could not access, they then sent it to its manufacturer, Honeywell, in Seattle, in the U.S.

The black box is not the only device that can tell us the cause of the accident. It's only a tool to help us accurately describe what happened.

Some people noticed that the aircraft was diving rapidly from the air to the ground while landing. This scene could be viewed differently by different people. By decoding the black box, we know, among other things, the speed of the aircraft when it hit the runway.

The black box actually consists of two devices. Can you tell me more about their functions?

A black box is made up of two devices that are placed side by side in an aircraft. One is the flight data recorder (FDR) and the other is a cockpit voice recorder (CVR). They are not painted black anymore as they used to be in the 1950s. Now they are orange because the color orange is more visible than black after an accident.

An FDR records all parameters of an aircraft. It used to record only five or six parameters, such as velocity and speed. Now, up to 400 parameters can be recorded inside the modern box. It can record changes in wind speed and the movement of a plane's wings and flaps. The ICAO has ruled that the minimum number of recorded parameters be 88.

The CVR is used to record all sounds inside a cockpit, such as conversation between pilots or cabin crew, or perhaps the sound of a gunshot inside an aircraft.

Information from both the FDR and CVR consists of multiple diagrams and models after experts decode them. This data can only be deciphered by experts.

What happened to the black boxes of previous accidents?

Many people have asked from time to time for the KNKT to reveal its findings to the public. But it's pointless to publish our findings as each accident report can have more than 50 pages.

The data from the black box is then tabulated with other external investigative data to make findings more accurate.

The location of the black box from the Adam Air jetliner, which plummeted into the Majene Sea (South Sulawesi), has been detected. However, salvaging the devices could cost some US$3 million. The ICAO says it is the country -- it could be the Indonesian government or the company itself -- that should pay for the project, but this cost is just too high.

Moreover, after salvaging it, the box might not even be readable because of physical damage.

How about the condition of the KNKT?

The KNKT consists of people who are willing to help. For air accidents, we have only 29 investigators, for sea accidents about eight, for railway 14 and for land about four. People may think that we've been working slowly, but this is because we only have a few investigators.

And they are paid more like volunteers than professionals.

We currently have an aircraft expert from an airline company and a metallurgy expert from the Bandung Institute of Technology.

One of our members, who tried to crack the black box's data in the U.S., Prof. Mardjono, is actually an instructor at a university.

Speaking about our independence from the Transportation Ministry, the most important aspect to keep in mind is that our investigators are capable and willing to do the work. Our independent status means we receive enough funds to do the job independently.

New busway lanes to open in 2008

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA: Three more busway corridors will operate in 2008, says the head of the transportation agency.

"The construction of corridors eight, nine and 10 will continue as planned and I hope they start operating in January 2008," the head of the city's transportation agency, Nurachman, said Wednesday at City Hall.

"We have prepared Rp 180 billion (US$19.7 million) for the project," he said, adding that there would be 60 stations along the three corridors.

Corridor eight will connect Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, to Harmoni, Central Jakarta, corridor nine will connect Pinang Ranti, East Jakarta and Pluit, North Jakarta, and corridor ten will link Cililitan, East Jakarta, and Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta.

The City Council had previously rejected the construction of corridor eight due to the vehicle density in that area.

Head of the City Council Ade Surapriyatna said Governor Sutiyoso had asked the council to continue with the project this year because a delay would hamper the busway network.

"But with one condition, the transportation agency should find an alternative route during the construction period so the traffic will not be disrupted," he said.

Dam's state worries water operator

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Bogor, the main supplier of raw water to Jakarta, Depok and Bekasi, may experience water shortages if the administration does not repair and rehabilitate Cisadane Dam.

The warning was issued by Bogor-owned water operator PD Tirta Pakuan following the evaluation of sedimentation problems in Cisadane River.

"Seventy-five percent of the raw water distributed by Tirta Pakuan is taken from the river. We fear water shortages if no action is taken to control the sedimentation and rehabilitate the dam," company director Syaban Maulana said Wednesday.

The other sources of raw water are springs in Kota Batu, Tangkil and Bantar Kambing subdistricts.

As of June 2006, PD Tirta Pakuan supplied piped water to 71,391 customers.

Syaban said that during the rainy season the river had silted up at different places.

"Although the water quality in Cisadane River is far better than Ciliwung River, the build up of sedimentation in the river will reduce water supply to Tirta Pakuan," he said.

He said the company had intensified efforts to re-green the Cisadane area.

"But we can't do it alone. We need to work with other related parties to protect upstream areas of the Cisadane," he said.

West Java Governor Danny Setiawan has ordered the Bogor administration to take action to protect upstream areas of the Cisadane and Ciliwung rivers.

Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto has also unveiled plans to build percolation pits in the area to prevent flooding.

The Cisadane and Ciliwung rivers are among the largest of the 13 rivers that run through Jakarta.

However, the two rivers are so polluted that the water from them is unfit even for agricultural purposes.

Jakarta, has long experienced water shortages in the dry season and floods in the rainy period.

Road-widening probe 'cut short'

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Environmentalists have spoken out against the police's decision to call off their investigation into the city's road-widening project along Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman.

"It sets a bad precedent in upholding the Environmental Law in the capital," Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) chairman Azas Tigor Nainggolan said Wednesday.

The Jakarta Police on Tuesday sent Tigor a letter in his capacity as the plaintiff representing groups of environmentalists who have accused Governor Sutiyoso of failing to protect green areas in the city.

The letter, signed by Comr. Tomsi Tohir of the Special Crimes Directory's environment and resources division, said the road-widening project did not violate the Environmental Law since it had not been necessary to carry out an environmental impact analysis (Amdal) for it.

It said median strips were not part of designated green areas, while the level of pollution along the two streets had improved by 16.31 percent after the projects.

"The arguments show up inaccuracies in the police's investigation. The Environmental Law stipulates that an Amdal is a must for any project that affects an area that is more than four kilometers long," Tigor said.

The project affected 6.4 km of median strip, he said.

Members of Fakta, the Jakarta Caucus for the Environment and the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) reported Sutiyoso to police in October. Former minister for the environment Sonny Keraf is among the prominent figures in the group.

Under the Environmental Law, any party found guilty of damaging the environment, including polluting the air, could face a maximum punishment of 10 years' jail or a Rp 500 million fine.

The Jakarta administration said the project was aimed at easing traffic congestion since parts of the streets were being taken up by the busway lane.

The administration allocated Rp 30 billion for the project and removed hundreds of trees from the area.

Tubagus Haryo Karbiyanto of the caucus, who deals with transportation issues, said more private vehicle owners had been taking the streets since they were widened.

"It only benefits car owners. The projects have not reduced traffic congestion on the streets. This is why the administration needs to introduce electronic road pricing."

He said research by road construction company PT Pembangunan Jaya predicted that for every km of additional road, there would be 1,923 more cars and 3,000 motorcycles.

Caucus member Firdaus Cahyadi added that dropping the case could give the administration the license to cut down more trees along the streets to make way for its transportation projects.

"It would then be even more difficult for the administration to meet the target of 30 percent of open and green areas as required by the law on spatial planning," he said.

The administration is aiming to convert 13.94 percent or 9,544 hectares of city land into green spaces by 2010, up from 7,319 hectares or 10.7 percent in 2005.

Green spaces currently make up 5,911 hectares or 9 percent of city land.

Busway supplier gets five year on corruption

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA (JP): Anti-Corruption Court Wednesday punished busway supplier Budi Santoso into five years for committing collusion when supplying buses for a busway project, MetroTV television reported.

Budi, together with former head of City Transportation Agency Rustam Effendi, were accused of marking-up price of 54 buses for the busway first corridor from Blok M in South Jakarta to Kota in Central Jakarta.

Prosecutors previously said the prices of buses were decided before the tender bid was opened. The price was based on a figure calculated by Budi, who is the president director of PT Armada Usaha Bersama.

Anti-corruption had previously punished Rustam to three year jail term.

The corruption case caused state loss worth Rp 10.6 billion (US$1.16 million).

RAAF donates Hercules parts to Indonesia

The Jakarta Post

The Indonesian Air Force received an early birthday present Wednesday from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in the form of Rp 2.8 billion (US$304,000) in spare parts for its C-130 Hercules transport aircraft fleet.

Celebrating its 61st anniversary next Monday, the Indonesian Air Force is in dire need of spare parts for its Hercules fleet, which in addition to military operations is often used in humanitarian missions.

The spare parts were handed over by the RAAF air commander for Australia, Vice Marshall John Quaife, to the director general of defense facilities at the Defense Ministry, Vice Marshall Slamet Prihatino.

Witnessing the presentation was Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer.

Quaife said Australia recognized Indonesia as an archipelagic country that was highly dependent on aircraft to reach and assist remote communities.

"I would find it hard to think of any humanitarian or community support operation that does not in some way rely on this aircraft and their crews for success," said Quaife.

He said the gift was a "small" indication of the further strengthening of relations between the respective nations' air forces.

"It is the small things, plus the larger things, such as the Rajawali Ausindo exercise last year, that highlight and strengthen the relationship that our air forces enjoy," he added.

The Rajawali Ausindo exercise was held in December 2006 and involved joint-activities on C-130 inter-operability at the RAAF's Richmond base.

A total of 170 items covering 27 different parts where donated for use in the maintenance of 12 Indonesian Hercules. Last year, eight Indonesian Hercules aircraft received similar spare parts from Australia.

Slamet said the spare parts would be extremely helpful in the Indonesian Air Force's efforts to upgrade and maintain its Hercules fleet.

"Australia offered more than what we get now, but we asked only for what we really need. There is no need to get any parts that cannot be used," he said.

"They offered more than what we received now, but we received only what we really need. There is no need to receive any parts if we can't use them," said Slamet.

Quaife said Australian and Indonesian C-130 aircraft had worked together during several humanitarian operations, such as in assisting the victims of the devastating 2004 tsunami.

"Such operations highlight the importance of airlift collaboration between neighbors," he said.

C-130s from both countries played a significant role in recovery operations following the tsunami, while Indonesian Air Force C-130s featured in relief operations following the Yogyakarta earthquake in 2006.

"Having retired our C-130E aircraft, it makes sense for Australia to transfer the surplus spare parts to Indonesia to enhance regional humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. We have a mutual interest in regional humanitarian and disaster relief," said Farmer.

He said the transfer of the spare parts demonstrates the strengthening defense relationship between the two countries.

The RAAF currently operates the C-130J Super Hercules and the C-130H models while Indonesia operates the older C-130B and C-130H models.